DOING JUSTICE: Israel/Palestine

The Church has been divided on social justice issues for decades. Often, just starting a conversation is overwhelming. The conversations have been and continue to be especially challenging around Palestine and Israel. That is why we are offering an online course for a small group to learn to have courageous conversations around this beloved and fraught region of the world and its people. This is a great opportunity to grow our minds in knowledge, hearts compassion, spirits in steadfastness, and bodies in wise action.

We will be using the DOING JUSTICE curriculum from Fuller Seminary’s Brehm Preaching—Ogilvie Initiative. The DOING JUSTICE content is meant to open the door for listening and dialogue about some of the most challenging topics facing the Church today, guided by Christian scholars and thought leaders.

Please join me as we explore a wide variety of approaches and responses to the question, how to do justice related to Palestine and Israel?

Course Description: Doing Justice: Israel and Palestine will explore three Christian responses to Biblical and contemporary Palestine and Israel. We will study how different interpretations of historical events influence how one reads the Bible, how one interprets and relates to the contemporary realities in Palestine and Israel, and how one relates with Christians, Jews and Muslims in the United States, and the implications of these interpretations. Participants will be invited to thoughtfully and critically reflect on their own theology and perspectives as they relate to the land of the Bible and its people.

This course is part of the Contemporary Holy Land Education Initiative, sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) through a grant from the Palestine Justice Network (PJN). The purpose is to equip Christians with a working knowledge of the region and its people through interactive education in order to make more informed decisions related to theology, faith, and action. Course materials are provided by Fuller Seminary via their Fuller Equip platform. Participants will receive information for accessing course materials prior to the course.  

Who is this for? People with little to a moderate understanding of Palestine and Israel.

What will we do together? Sessions will include prayer, reflection, and courageous conversation around the topic of Palestine and Israel. We’ll use the DOING JUSTICE online curriculum created by Fuller Seminary’s Brehm Preaching—A Lloyd John Ogilive Initiative. DOING JUSTICE reviews key concepts and history related to a particular social justice topic and then presents three to four different Christian responses. The purpose of this course is to facilitate a conversation about Palestine and Israel —that may be more honest and go deeper than previously experienced. 

What are the expectations? You will need about 60-90 minutes each week to work through the online content in your own time—read a little, watch some videos, and consider some reflection questions and 90 minutes to gather once a week for conversation with the group. A total of about 3 hours a week. We’re asking each group member to embrace the vision of courageous conversation and commit to making time for ample preparation and attendance at all six meetings. 

What is the outcome? You can expect to develop a freshly invigorated and clarified passion to reflect God’s heart for justice and mercy. This may be a difficult journey, but by learning to understand why people hold certain positions, we will grow in wisdom and insight toward God’s will regarding the complex issues related to Palestine and Israel.

Would you take a few days to prayerfully consider engaging this curriculum with your church or small group?

Giving Thanks
I am grateful to Joining Hands for Justice (JHFJ), an Atlanta-based advocacy group I have been on the board of for a number of years, for supporting me in pursuing a grant from the Israel Palestine Mission Network of the PC(USA) to create the Contemporary Holy Land Education Initiative. Originally, the initiative set out to engage United States policy related to Palestine and Israel and equip seminary students with a working knowledge of the region and its people through interactive education. The pandemic changed the course of the vision and led to an opportunity in online education through Fuller Seminary for Christian leaders and lay Christians alike. I am deeply grateful to present you with this rich and engaging course DOING JUSTICE: Israel/Palestine, a topic I did not realize would be as pressing as it is today. I hope and prayer is the course content and conversations will be helpful and illuminating resources for you.