WASHINGTON, January 18, 2014 (WAFA) - The Israel Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (IPMN) in the United States announced Thursday the publication of its newest educational resource, Zionism Unsettled: A Congregational Study Guide.
IPMN said in a statement that this study guide is a
condensed and edited version of a longer book entitled Zionism and the Quest
for Justice in the Holy Land, which will be published in 2014 by Pickwick
Publications, an imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers.
“Zionism Unsettled is published to help bring about an end
to the silence surrounding the impact of Zionism, and to encourage open
discussions on the topic in church and society,” said a press release by IPMN.
Commenting on the study guide, Rev. Cliff Kirkpatrick, Visiting Professor of Ecumenical Studies and Global Ministries at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and former Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) sees a need for a deeper understanding of Zionism.
“I encourage pastors and congregations to take advantage of this new publication. Zionism Unsettled provides a valuable opportunity to explore the political ideology of Zionism. Our congregations need to understand not only the humanitarian crisis or the specific policies involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but also to examine the basic framework that lies behind these policies and crises,” said Kirkpatrick.
Walter Brueggemann, professor emeritus at Columbia
Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia, remarks: “The urgency of the
Palestinian plight in the face of Israeli intransigence indicates that
intentional, concrete, and sustained public action is necessary to respond
credibly to the crisis. Zionism Unsettled is a welcome study guide. It will
prove an effective vehicle for helping to mobilize public opinion so that both
attitudes and policies can be transformed in the face of an imperious and
exploitative ideology.”
What role has Zionism and Christian Zionism played in
shaping attitudes and driving historical developments in the Middle East and
around the world? How do Christians, Jews, and Muslims understand the competing
claims to the land of Palestine and Israel? What steps can be taken to bring
peace, reconciliation, and justice to the homeland that Palestinians and
Israelis share?
“Zionism Unsettled embraces these critical issues fearlessly
with inspiring scope,” said the press release. “The booklet and DVD draw
together compelling and diverse perspectives from Jews, Muslims, and Christians
in Israel, Palestine, the US, and around the globe. By contrasting mainstream
perceptions with important alternative perspectives frequently ignored in the
media, Zionism Unsettled serves as a guide to deeper understanding.”
Neve Gordon, Israeli political scientist and author of
Israel’s Occupation speaks of the need for Zionism Unsettled, said: “In my work
I am inspired by the great Jewish prophets' struggle for justice and freedom,
while simultaneously I am often astounded how certain strains in Judaism and
Christianity invoke the Bible in order to justify oppression and social wrongs
in Israel/Palestine. Therefore I welcome the effort to emphasize a conception
of Judaism and Christianity that espouses universalistic ethics – whereby all
humans are imago dei – and to use it to expose injustices carried out in my
homeland.”
Rashid Khalidi,
Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University in New York, notes
“The denial of the rights of the Palestinians is largely driven by the
exemption of Zionist ideology and its real-world implications from any serious
scrutiny. Zionism Unsettled explains accurately and concisely why it is
essential to look at the theological roots of Zionism, and how it has appealed
to both Jews and Christians, in order to understand the true nature of the long
ordeal suffered by the Palestinian people, as well as the real roots of so much
of the strife in the Middle East.”
Zionism Unsettled consists of a 74-page illustrated booklet and an accompanying free DVD with a how-to guide for class leaders with focused discussion.
M.S.
