Across the Divide Podcast

In this episode of the Faith and Activism series, Abeer speaks with Bryan Carey, a peacebuilding consultant and the Director of International Peacebuilding at Peace Catalyst International. Drawing on his years of experience living in post-conflict Bosnia, Bryan reflects on the theological and practical shifts needed within Christian communities to move from domination-based models of faith to power-with approaches rooted in justice...

In this episode of the Touring the Holy Land Series, Jen has a conversation with Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, the executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace. Mae shares some of her transformative experiences traveling and leading trips in Palestine-Israel. She unpacks the role that privilege plays when foreigners travel to the region, emphasizing the cognitive dissonance  that travelers often face when encountering conflict...

In this episode of the Touring the Holy Land Series, Jen has a conversation with Jer Swigart on immersive peacebuilding in the context of Israel-Palestine. In this conversation, Jer discusses the complexities of Christian tourism in Israel and Palestine, highlighting its role as a propaganda tool that often neglects the realities of the local communities. He emphasizes the importance of building deep, meaningful relationships with ...

In this episode of Touring the Holy Land, Jen has a conversation with Sara Williams about the power dynamics of narratives surrounding the Holy Land and the emergence of solidarity tourism among American Christians. Sara shares a shift she has observed in her research from traditional pilgrimage models to a focus on witnessing marginalized communities, emphasizing the call to come and see as a transformative experience. Sara and Je...

In this episode of the Faith and Activism series, Abeer engages in a conversation with Rev. Dr. Sari Ateek to explore how theology, identity, and justice intersect in the life of a Palestinian Christian leader. They discuss Sari’s journey from Israel/Palestine to leading St. John’s Norwood Episcopal Church in Maryland, his commitment to inclusivity and radical generosity, and why he believes the true Christian message calls for the...

In this episode of the Touring the Holy Land series, Jen has a conversation with Michel Awad on the current state of tourism in Palestine-Israel and the challenges posed by mass pilgrimage tourism, which often disconnects visitors from the local community. Awad emphasizes the crucial role of church leaders in promoting a more balanced and informed approach to pilgrimage, encouraging visitors to engage with local Palestinians. He hi...

In this episode of the Touring the Holy Land series, Jen has a conversation with Raphael Greenberg, an Israeli archaeologist focused on the political implications of archaeology in Israel/Palestine. Raphael shares his personal journey into archaeology, highlighting the intersection of science and politics, particularly in the context of Israeli-Palestinian relations. He discusses the colonial roots of archaeology and its entangleme...

In this episode of the Faith and Activism series, Abeer has a conversation with Rev. Amy Graham about the transformative power of faith in driving justice and activism. They discuss Amy’s journey from West Virginia to co-founding The District Church in Washington, DC, and how her experiences in social work, pastoral ministry, and advocacy have shaped her understanding of the Gospel’s call to action. The conversation also highlights...

In episode 2 of the Touring the Holy Land series, Jen talks with historian Stephanie Stidham Rogers about the history of Protestant pilgrimage in Palestine. They discuss the historical context and cultural influences in the 19th century that shaped the phenomenon of Western Christian tourism in Palestine. Stephanie explains how American Protestants viewed the Holy Land as a "frontier" and the role that Orientalism played ...

In this episode, Jen kicks off the "Touring the Holy Land" series by telling some important stories that are entangled in Holy Land tourism. She takes us back to the dawn of Christian pilgrimage to Palestine in the 4th century CE, and highlights some of the dominant narratives in the American Christian Holy Land tourism industry today. This episode features quotes from some of our listeners who have traveled to Palestine-...

In this episode of theFaith and Activism series, Abeer has a conversation with Amir Toumie about the enduring struggle to reclaim Iqrit—a small Christian village whose residents were forcibly displaced in 1948. They discuss the legal and social fight for the right of return, the unique role of faith in sustaining the community’s hope, and how Iqrit has become a powerful symbol of nonviolent resistance, rooted in spiritual and cultu...

For the series finale, Jen Maidrand joins Daniel Bannoura for a live recording where they discuss the series and answer questions from the audience. Apologies for some of the technical difficulties. This was our first livestream, but we'll make sure this won't happen in future streams.

If you enjoy our podcast, please consider becoming a Patreon monthly supporter at: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide⁠ 

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In the episode of the Faith and Activism series, Abeer speaks with Dr. Beth Seversen about her research on Palestinian Christians young adults navigating discrimination and their resilience and sumud.

In the extended conversation for our Patreon supporters, Beth also shares more about cultural sensitivity in activism.

To access this extended conversation and others, consider ⁠supporting us on Patreon⁠.

Beth holds a PhD in Intercultura...

In the penultimate episode of our Christian Zionism series, rabbi Brant Rosen discusses his journey out of Jewish Zionism and his thoughts about the war in Gaza. For the rest of the conversation rabbi Rosen discusses Christian Zionism and the harms that he, as a Jewish person and a rabbi, sees in this sort of problematic and harmful Christian support for Jews and Israel.

For Patreon supporters, Daniel and rabbi Brant discuss a...

In this special episode, Daniel has a conversation with Najib George Awad, a Syrian theologian and historian, about the sudden fall of the Assad regime in Syria and the various challenges facing the Syrian people after this “incomplete revolution”.

For our Patreon supporters, Najib and Daniel discuss Kalam (Muslim theology) and the rich history of Muslim-Christian debate in the Middle Ages. To access this extended conversation and ...

We continue our series Christian Zionism, and here Daniel has a conversation with Palestinian theologian John Munayer about the impact of Christian Zionism on Palestinians themselves. John shares about his first encounters with Christian Zionism and how it has also infiltrated into the Palestinian society, particularly through some Palestinian Evangelical pastors and churches. 

In their extended conversation for our Patreon support...

In this episode, our three hosts–Abeer, Daniel, and Jen–get together to reflect on one year of podcasting and their experiences as it relates to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and the ongoing occupation violence throughout Palestine-Israel. They also discuss the meaning of Christmas and its potential to call the church to justice in a time of war, occupation, and violence. This is a serious and fun conversation that gets into every...

In this conversation, episode seven of the Christian Zionism series, Daniel talks with scholar Brooke Baker about contemporary discursive shifts in Christian Zionism.

In their extended conversation for our Patreon supporters, Daniel and Brooke discuss the role that Christian Zionism has played in the last year of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. To access this extended conversation and others, consider ⁠supporting us on Patreon⁠. ...

In this conversation, Daniel chats with Julie Schumacher Cohen about Catholic peacemaking work in Palestine-Israel. Julie shares about her Israeli Jewish family and the impact that visiting Palestine has had on her identity and faith.  She also discusses how her Catholic faith influences the way she advocates for peace and justice through her work at Churches for Middle East Peace. See also our previous conversation with Jordan Den...