Christians and a Land Called Holy: How We Can Foster Justice, Peace and Hope

Charles P. Lutz, Minnesota coordinator of Churches for Middle East Peace, and Robert O. Smith, Lutheran Campus Pastor at the University of Chicago, have written an excellent primer on the situation in Israel/Palestine, primarily for Christian readers. As its subtitle indicates, this is a how-to manual. Four chapters deal with 1) what is so special about this spot in the world sacred to three monotheistic faiths; 2) the intersection of politics, faith, and fundamentalisms; 3) divisions within Christianity (especially with regard to the State of Israel); and 4) an invitation to the reader to put what has been learned into action for justice and peace. In a short appendix entitled "Whose Land Is It?" Ronald D. Witherup addresses the religious, social, and political implications biblical passages where God promises the Land to the descendents of Abraham. Although basically sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and highly critical of the Israeli occupation, the expanding settlements, and the barrier wall, the authors are clearly neither pro Arab nor pro Jew, but solidly in favor of peace through a just, equitable, and non-violent solution to the sixty-year-old conflict. Lutz and Smith outline the role that Christian Zionism has played in supporting the State of Israel as a prelude to the second coming of Christ. These Christians have been an important influence on the U. S. government's unwavering support for policies of the Israeli government that have elicited almost unanimous condemnation by the rest of the world. In the final chapter Lutz presents a program for action based on four points. The first is learning how to get accurate, balanced information on the Israeli/Palestinian situation. Lutz provides helpful historical background, including the stated policies of all the U.S. presidents since Lyndon Johnson. Praying is next, especially praying with those Muslims, Jews, and Christians of the Holy Land who are caught up in the conflict and are seeking non-violent solutions. Third is advocacy for sound public policy, particularly in the United States. Finally, Lutz recommends traveling to Israel/Palestine to learn from first-hand observation and possibly to help out. Lutz and Smith include a fourteen-page list of helpful resources - books, videos, and websites. It would have been helpful to mention magazines such as Sojourners or The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. Also, the list of U.S. Jewish Voices in chapter 4 should have included Jewish Voice for Peace. In the appendix, "Who's Land Is It?" Witherup makes an important point: "Human rights take precedence over ancient claims to the land." However, he doesn't fully recognize the depth and power of Christian dispensationalism and its literalist interpretation of biblical land passages. Dispensationalists claim that the Bible shows that God's grant of land to Abraham and his descendents amounts to a deed of that land to modern Jews. Witherup fails to compare these rea

The authors of "Christians and a Land Called Holy" have created an excellent new resource to help readers understand the dynamics affecting the Christian community in Palestine and Israel, to see clearly the implications of Christian Zionism for the people of the Holy Land, and to discern the truth behind the headlines concerning this crux of the Middle East. I commend it for study groups as well as individual readers, and especially for pastors and teachers in US churches. Ann Hafften