Nationalism and the Church: Christian Nativism and Politics in Early-Modern Palestine-Israel

Abstract

Palestine is known as the birthplace of Christianity. However, the Christian population of this land is relatively insignificant today, despite the continuing institutional legacy that the 19th-century Western missionary focus on the region created. Palestinian Christians were often forced to employ politically astute and theologically radical means to appear relevant as a minority community within a majority Muslim society. This article deals with the historical and political issues that have affected Palestinian Christians over the years and the steps taken by them to ensure their survival as a culturally and religiously distinct community in Jerusalem within the Palestinian-Israeli framework.