Colonialism in the Everyday Life, Thinking and Encounters of Palestinian Christians

Abstract

In this article, we discuss the everyday life of Palestinian Christians and the formation of Palestinian local theology in recent history. Although the expressions of Palestinian Christianity documented from the 1980s onward are influenced by both liberation theology and post-colonial theology, our approach underlines that Palestinian Christians, like other Palestinians, are still a colonized people with respect to both their history and their present. Colonialism also characterizes the history of Christianity in the region since historical Palestine has attracted Christians outside with various interests, including the western missionary work. The background and perspectives we provide may help the reader to understand the contributions of Palestinian Christians and, more broadly, the colonial contexts in which Palestinians live and act today. We conclude with three case examples, which provide insights into how different structures of power enable the agency of Palestinian Christians, while also constantly seeking to shapeand limit that agency.