Publisher's Synopsis
The establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 for the Church in the West has been the starting point of a rediscovery of its own roots. In the Middle East the effect has been exactly the opposite: Christians have become estranged from their Old Testament roots, because they have been expelled from their land exactly because of an appeal to the Old Testament. The concept of Israel changed from a nation in the Bible, with which they could associate, to an economic, political and military power that was against them. Bernhard Reitsma lived and worked among Christians in the Middle East for several years. He has shared their struggles and was challenged to reconsider different kinds of Israel theology. In this the core questions is whether the God of my enemy can also be my God. How can the God of the present State of Israel also be the God of the Palestinians? How can the God who orders the total extinction of Jericho be the same God as the Father of Jesus Christ? Is God supporting Israel against the Arabs, including Arab Christians? In order to answer these questions Reitsma starts with Jesus Christ as God's ultimate revelation. That forces him to think about two fundamental issues: what does it mean for the revelation of God that Jesus was a Jew, and how is God's revelation in Christ related to his revelation in the Torah? Reitsma develops a hermeneutical framework, which he subsequently applies to three fundamental and recurring issues in the Christian theological discourse about Israel: (a) Is Israel today still the people of God? (b) How should we interpret the presence of Israel in the land? (c) What is the place of the so called Old Testament in Christian Theology? Central to the book is a re-reading of Romans 9-11. In closing Reitsma formulates a number of theological principles for a sound Christian theology of Israel, which is at the same time promising for Christians in the Middle East. Dr Reitsma has done a great favor to all those who would like to have an in-depth, clear, and intelligible perspective on the crucial issue of the land of Palestine. This is not a distant theological and biblical treatment, but has its relevancy and implications on both local and global scenes in the 21st century. I am aware that Dr Reitsma is dealing with a very controversial subject and that not all readers will agree with all his arguments and conclusions. However, I do hope that readers will, at least, join me in admiring the courage, honesty, and sensitivity that are exemplified in this significant and timely work. Revd Riad Kassis, International Director, International Council for Evangelical Theological Education; Director, Langham Scholars Ministry, Langham Partnership Bernard Reitsma is Professor at the VU-University Amsterdam for the Church in the Context of Islam. He has a Doctorate in Theology from Leiden University (Nl) and has lived and worked in Lebanon for almost eight years. He is married with four children.
