This scholarly book carefully, even tenderly written- comes
from the pen of one who- it might be said- is living in a state of affairs
brought about by a theology of privilege. But not a privilege that he enjoys. Far
from being a book from those whose experience of life and whose knowledge of
this subject consists in observations made from the pleasure of an armchair, a
theology devoid of risk, comfortable and with no inherent danger- this book
comes from the heart of one deeply embroiled in a world of conflict and
violence. Dr Katanacho lives at the epicenter of a centuries old conjunction of
three major world religions.
The sense of care and objectivity that emanates from it is
surprising given the circumstances. It is not what many might expect from a
person so close and so involved in the day to day crises arising from
misinformation, prejudice and extremism. It is not a rant.
Dr. Katanacho is the Academic Dean of Bethlehem Bible
College who earned his PhD (2007), at Trinity
International University in Deerfield, IL; M-Div (1999), Trinity International
University in Deerfield, IL; MA (1996) in Old Testament, Wheaton College in
Wheaton, IL; BS (1992), Bethlehem University in Bethlehem, Palestine.
For myself the authority of this book rests not only in the academic degrees that lie behind the
name, (and that is not to disparage the value of conscientious study) but rather
lies in the proximity of this person to what he is experiencing and living as a
result of certain religious views. It is
this very thing that helps to validate, at least to me, what he writes about,
as someone has said, perhaps crudely- “nothing
concentrates the mind so wonderfully as the prospect of death”, he lives
and breathes in the midst of life and death and because of this there is great honesty, soul searching sensitivity and
care with his subject.
Strangely this book brings to mind something I read years
ago written by William Barclay about another man living and breathing this same
conflict that is largely the focus of this book. He too grappled with a
centuries old paradigm- Jews and Gentiles, Israel and the Church and the
relationship to God.
William Barclay, a Church of Scotland minister, and Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism at the University of Glasgow expressed the view that St. Paul, being too close to the conflict may have coloured his theology. While appearing to defend St Paul’s views
expressed in Romans 9, Barclay contended Paul was disadvantaged, and his thinking clouded because he was too close to
his subject thereby tending to undermine the authority by which Paul spoke:
“We must remember that this is not the argument of a theologian sitting quietly in a study thinking things out; it is the argument of a man whose heart was in despair to find some reason for a completely incomprehensible situation. In the end the only answer Paul can find is that God did it.” [i]
Despair?
Incomprehensible? I am not persuaded that Paul was any of these things with
regard to the situation he wrote of
and interestingly this is also the precise opposite to how we find Dr.
Katanacho characterized in the forward to his book by Dr. Bisharra Awad,
President of Bethlehem Bible College:
“The author” he writes, “does not leave us in despair. Like the author himself, one can find peace with God, contextualized in loving the oppressed, the thief, the enemy and the sinner. For Katanacho the centrality of Christ; and His redeeming power are the most important issues.”
In point of fact what characterizes this book is hope, yes
hope in the face of what many would concede to be hopeless. In many ways this
book is reminiscent of another story of another time. A story of a people’s
political oppression, how they sought to understand this evil in the light of
their relationship to God, a story of political intrigue and undercurrents of
insurrection, zealotry and terrorism. A clash of worldviews. Some sought to
enlist God as their ally in their political insurrection, others sought solace
and hope in a God of love, whose only claim to violence was to be at the
receiving end of it, and to love radically through it. This story also began in
Bethlehem.
My own interest in this book could well have been defined as
purely “academic” even in the worst sense of the word. As an armchair theolog
my interest was purely intellectual. I have never been to Israel, my interest
lies chiefly in respect for the Bible, and in defending it as the Christian
authority for knowing truth and instructing in righteousness. However, with a
growing awareness that theology does not exist in a vacuum, but has strong and
sometimes catastrophic consequences for those on the receiving end of erroneous
views, I welcomed this book- not only as an affirmation to some long held viewsof my own- but particularly because the consequences of those whose views are antithetic and are currently "in vogue" -are
literally life and death for brothers and sisters in Christ living in this land
so soaked in blood.
It is a story that must be told again and again.
It is a
timely reminder that orthodoxy and faith are not matters of mere intellectual assent,
but must be lived and breathed in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, and
if our “orthodoxy” is to be firmly and authentically founded in the truth then
it must be able to be lived out, not just in the comfort and security of the
West but in the shattered citadels of the poor and the oppressed.
K.A. Campbell
[i]
THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS, REVISED EDITION Translated with
an Introduction and Interpretation by WILLIAM BARCLAY THE
WESTMINSTER PRESS PHILADELPHIA Revised Edition. Copyright (c) 1975 William
Barclay. Chapter: THE POTTER AND THE CLAY Rom. 9:19-29
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