Middle East
The New Arabs, by Juan Cole
Juan Cole tells the backstory of the revolutions in North Africa, exploring events in the context of their cultural setting. His conclusions are optimistic yet grounded in realism.
Friday Was the Bomb, by Nathan Deuel
Nathan Deuel shows us things few readers will have seen or guessed at. His stories take us places that are familiar yet unknown.
It’s time for mainline Protestant churches to invite mainstream Jewish organizations to sit down and figure out what we can do together to support the Israel-Palestine peace process.
A few years ago, while wandering through the Old City of Jerusalem, I stumbled upon a spray-painted sign on the side of a small factory building. It called out in English: “We need peace.” It seemed to me like a modern-day cry of “hosanna” coming from the people of Jerusalem.
In a booklet titled Zionism Unsettled, a group of Presbyterians has issued a blanket denunciation of Zionism, terming the Jewish quest for a homeland in the ancient land of Israel inherently racist, exclusionary, and devastating for non-Jewish inhabitants. Jewish and Christian groups have rightly criticized the booklet for its sledgehammer one-sided approach, theologically and politically.
The New Middle East, by Paul Danahar
Christians in the United States who are committed to accompanying the churches of the Middle East are looking for help in understanding the shifting dynamics of the region after the Arab Spring. Paul Danahar’s lengthy study would seem to promise such help.
The prospects for genuine democracy in Egypt are more remote than ever. But there are other models of Islamic politics in the region.
Turkey may be a model for the rest of the Middle East, but the country faces deep problems. And religion is not at these problems' core.
The Friends of the Earth Middle East scored a victory this summer when some 9 million cubic meters of fresh water per year started flowing into the Jordan River.
Many Egyptian Christians see the military's intervention as salvation. Is this wise? Do they have a choice?
There's a broad consensus that peace between the Israelis and Palestinians depends on a two-state solution. So why doesn't it happen?
The Jordan River is too shallow for Michael to row across, and the shore is a stinking pile of sludge. But something redemptive is happening.