Christ in the Rubble

“I shall never forget a Palestinian pastor saying to me, some years back, when he was painfully lamenting the fact that the plight of the Palestinians was virtually ignored by his fellow Christians in the West, ‘A baby in its crib is ignored unless it cries out. Perhaps we Palestinians have not known how to cry out.’ Palestinian Lutheran pastor Munther Isaac knows how to cry out. Christ in the Rubble is an extraordinarily eloquent cry of lament over the suffering of the Palestinians, today and over the past seventy-six years. After providing a deeply researched description of the history and effects of Israel’s settler colonialism and apartheid, and a moving depiction of the incessant pain and humiliation of Palestinians living under this regime, Munther Israel concludes with a probing theological meditation on ‘God’s solidarity with humanity in its pain.’ May this powerful cry from the crib at last awaken Western Christians to understanding, empathy, and action!”
—Nicholas Wolterstorff, Noah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology, Yale University
 
“Munther Isaac has written a heartbreaking indictment of world leaders, religious leaders, and humanity for failing the Palestinian people. With striking moral clarity, Isaac delivers an impassioned argument for the defense of Palestinian life and freedom, one that speaks deeply to universal religious and human values. He echoes the Jewish values and beliefs that I was taught regarding the value of all human life, G-d’s presence with those who are suffering, and the obligation to speak up for the oppressed. Christ in the Rubble is an SOS and a call to action, especially for church leaders and Christians around the world, whose institutions and religious extremists have used their immense power to support the West’s evangelical project in the State of Israel at an unforgivable cost to Palestinians, Jewish people, and all of humanity.” 
—Lily Greenberg Call, former Biden administration political appointee

“Writing while a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza is being live streamed, Munther Isaac calls on the world to be ethically consistent. One cannot care for the lives and safety of some and disregard the lives and safety of others. This ethical discrepancy is the essence of colonialism and is pivotal for understanding how Israeli settler colonialism persists and is framed as ‘self-defense.’ Isaac illuminates the struggle for Palestinian freedom and human dignity that was denied them. He shows why rectifying this violence requires interrogating (neo)imperial agendas, the weaponization of antisemitism, the deployment of ‘humanitarianism’ as a tool of depopulation, and anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism. Speaking from his perspective as a Christian Palestinian leader, Isaac demystifies apocalyptic, messianic, and vengeful Christian and Jewish forms of Zionism, all of which have translated into violations of Palestinian humanity manifested in the escalation of the ongoing Nakba into a genocidal assault. Christ in the Rubble is a must read for anyone outraged by Palestinian suffering and by the ways that selective appeals to biblical references have authorized the displacement, destruction, and denial of Palestinian materialities, histories, and futures.” 
—Atalia Omer, professor of religion, conflict, and peace studies at the University of Notre Dame; author of Days of Awe: Reimagining Jewishness in Solidarity with Palestinians
 
“Incisive. Penetrating. Convicting. Munther Isaac is here the chronicler of Israel’s astonishing history that few in the church have heard. But he has also become a prophetic voice showing the disturbing violence employed by Israel from its inception. This is Elijah calling out the sins of Ahab and Jezebel. This is a modern voice, calling from deep beneath this violence, a voice that unmasks what Israel has done during the last twelve months in Gaza. Isaac’s voice brings us the necessary courage we need for our time.”
—Gary M. Burge, professor emeritus of New Testament, Wheaton College and Graduate School; author of Whose Land? Whose Promise? What Christian Are Not Being Told About Israel and the Palestinians and Jesus and the Land: The New Testament Challenge to ‘Holy Land’ Theology
 
“Regarding conflict in the Middle East, it goes without saying that global outsiders tend to oversimplify what they believe to be solutions. What aren’t always as obvious are the ways we become entwined in structures that reinforce chaos and bloodshed. Munther Isaac lives, prays, weeps, and works for peace in Gaza. His pastoral heart, scholarly acuity, and prophetic passion are not only eye-opening, but inspiring—inviting us to walk a tangible path towards interreligious solidarity and informed action.”  
—John A. Nunes, president of California Lutheran University 
 
“Munther Isaac has become one of the most prominent Christian leaders in the world today. His message ‘Christ in the Rubble’ has become an anthem for freedom, as he reminds us all that God is under the rubble in Gaza, near to all who suffer from violence and occupation. Munther is a dear friend, a constant inspiration and a spiritual guide. His love for Jesus and his hunger for justice are contagious. This is one of the most important books of our generation. I hope every Christian in America reads it. In fact, I hope every person in the world, regardless of religious faith, reads this book. The truth at the heart of it is timeless and universal. Munther Isaac is a gift to the world.”  
—Shane Claiborne, author, activist, and cofounder of Red Letter Christians