Language:
English
Year of publication:
2014
Titel der Quelle:
Commentary
Angaben zur Quelle:
137,6 (2014) 11-19
Keywords:
Protestant churches
;
Arab-Israeli conflict Foreign public opinion, American
;
Christianity and antisemitism
Abstract:
A variant of liberal theology obtained currency in the 2000s, according to which Jesus was a Palestinian, "Palestine's first martyr", while his persecutors were Jewish, no different from present-day Israelis. Some versions of this narrative depict Jesus as the first preacher of Islam. Having originated in the Palestinian Arab milieu, this theology spread to Protestant churches in the West, especialy in Britain and the USA. In addition to serving the anti-Israeli political agenda, this "Christian Palestinianism" revives the old charge of deicide, redirecting it at the State of Israel. The Christian population of Mid-Eastern Arab states is declining, and churches in Britain blame Israel for this decline, rather than the persecution and intimidation on the part of Muslims. Reflects on the causes of the popularity of Christian Palestinianism in Britain; one of its reasons is the eclipse of faith among the clergy. Both clergymen and laypeople, who in fact don't believe in God any more, are prone to use the gospels' narrative on Jesus as a convenient political narrative, helping to build bridges with the Arab world.
URL:
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