Whose Land? Whose Promise?: What Christians Are Not Being Told About Israel and the Palestinians

by Gary M. Burge

Whose Land? Whose Promise? is Burge's personal exploration of his feelings about the crisis in the Middle East, put on paper to communicate with other Christians who share the same opinions he does and seek answers to the same questions he does; questions such as: How do I embrace my commitment to Judaism, a commitment to which I am bound by the Bible, when I sense in my deepest being that there is a profound injustice afoot in Israel? How do I celebrate the birth of this nation Israel when I also mourn the suffering of Arab Christians who are equally my brothers and sisters in Christ? How do I love those Palestinian Muslims who are deeply misunderstood by all parties in this conflict?

Genres: History, Politics, Middle East, Christian, Theology, Nonfiction, Christianity

286 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

About the author

Gary M. Burge (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is dean of the faculty and professor of New Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary. He previously taught for twenty-five years at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Among his many published books are The New Testament in Seven Sentences, Theology Questions Everyone Asks (with coeditor David Lauber), A Week in the Life of a Roman Centurion, Mapping Your Academic Career, The New Testament in Antiquity (coauthored with Gene Green), and the award-winning Whose Land? Whose Promise? What Christians Are Not Being Told About Israel and the Palestinians.

Reviews

[Chase Richburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of books are five star books, but very, very few also hold as much relevance and importance for our world today as this one does. This was my second time reading. There is not a Christian in the western world who wouldn’t benefit greatly from reading this book. I have offered before and now I offer again - if anyone would like to read a physical copy of this book, I will personally buy you a copy if you agree and promise to 1. Read it in its entirety and 2. Either gift that copy to someone else when you’re done or buy someone else a copy who would benefit from it. Just send me a name, address, and commitment to do #s 1&2 and you’ll receive your copy soon.

[Brian Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drenched in history and theology, this book was an enlightening guide to the current issue between Israel and Palestine. Any Christian would do well by picking up this book.

[Zack Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

While no book can provide a comprehensive view of the Israel/Palestine conflict, Dr. Burge presents a thorough detailing of the history, statistics, his personal experiences, stories from both Jews and Palestinians, and a biblical examination (OT & NT) into Israel’s claims. I could feel the plight of Palestinians and Israelis through the stories Burge shares. I invite any interested learner to include this book as part of their gaining awareness of Israel/Palestine.

[Deryk Rumbold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faith is not practiced in a vacuum so any major cultural points of tension are important. Our faith in God should inform all of our political decisions and this book is incredibly important to any American Christian because of this. Specifically the two chapters about the Old Testament covenant with the land and New Testament revelation that Jesus breaks the barriers of worship to only be land specific. Burge appeals to both Jewish and Christian understanding with these two combined together in a straight to the point way of dealing with the original land promise in an uncompromised manner. Even if you are pretty firm in your belief about where you stand with the land of Israel I still highly recommend approaching this book with an openess. A book about politics that has only gotten more relevant over time.

[Bob Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for Christians who want a thorough, theological, biblical correction to the way many American Evangelicals have understood what the secular nation of Israel is, what they have been doing, and their relationship to the Palestinians. Shocking. Enlightening. Infuriating.

[Estelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An even-handed, scholarly, and compelling call to Christians to understand the complexity of the conflict and to reassess their political stance toward Israel in light of Scripture. Burge opens with an overview of the geography, history, and politics of Israel/Palestine before examining the biblical vision of Israel's relationship to the Holy Land. He demonstrates that firstly Israel was called by God to live righteously and justly in the land with foreigners. Furthermore, because of Christ's launching of the new covenant and expansion of God's people to include Gentiles, Abrahamic promises to inherit the land cannot be limited to only Jews but applied to all believers. Graphically documenting numerous and horrendous human rights abuses of Palestinians by Israelis, Burge speaks prophetically in urging Christians to stand up for peace and justice, particularly for Palestinian Christians, who are brothers and sisters in Christ.

[Dayspring · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mom, my oldest brother and I have been doing an informal "book club" the past few months...basically, just reading books together and sharing thoughts through email and phone calls. It's been a great experience. Lately, we've been reading books concerning the Israel/Palestine conflict. What better place to turn than a trusty Wheaton prof?

[david shin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can safely say, this book has changed my life. Specifically, it has changed the way I look at the Israel/Palestine conflict, the way I look at the Bible, and the way I think about politics. Beware, suffice to say it is not a typical pro-Israel point of view, but solidly biblical.

[Dale Brueggemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most balanced treatment of the issue of Christian Zionism that I've read. It comes from a solid conservative evangelical stance, and is richly informed by first-hand acquaintance with people in the Land.

[Shawna Templeton · Rating 5 out of 5]

extremely informative ... and heartbreaking.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The injustice will break your heart. Required reading for anyone who wants to claim the title of Christian.

[Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written originally in 2003 and updated ten years later, this work remains an essential read for any Christian seeking to make sense of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Though at times the references are dated, the content of the book stands the test of time. Christians who have been raised to blindly support the political state of Israel need to expose themselves to the stories and perspectives brought forward by Burge. My heart broke and I had trouble holding back the tears as story after story was recounted of loss, abuse, brutality, broken promises, and inequity. Reflecting on Isaiah chapter 1, Burge contends that “A prophetic voice needs to be heard today in the Middle East, not an apocalyptic voice that announces the fulfillment of prophecies and the end times” (307). That voice also needs to be heard in the evangelical church—and I suggest Burge is such a voice. I particularly appreciated the way Burge opens the reader to the amazing Palestinian Christian community. I was deeply inspired by the stories of these brave and faithful brothers and sisters. I was equally inspired by the courageous Jewish voices speaking out for justice and challenging their own government. This book, in the end, is deeply troubling, for as we have seen over the last few years, the chaos of hatred and war is not bringing the Israelis or Palestinians any closer to peace.

[Josh Majeski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A valuable (if already somewhat dated) book filled with history, scripture, and stories. The first chapter seems to set a time that leaves ambiguity as to where the author stands, but quickly her undermines that tone with repeated stories of tragedy and injustice experienced by Palestinians. He does little to mask his criticism of how the IDF treats Palestinians, and uses many stories by Palestinians (which barely scratch the surface of all available). I wish he had spent time discussing Hamas, its history and relationahip to Palestinians, not to engage in both-sidesisms, but to answer questions and objections his intended evangelical audience likely has. I would, and already have, made a qualified recommendation of this book to other evangelicals.

[Karl Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The content sucks; I don’t want to believe that such injustices against a people group can continue to go unchecked and be generally supported by the West. The book is pretty one-sided, but Burge assumes (and states) that we already know the other side (Israel’s) well enough since that has historically been what was reported to us. He shows the rich history of the Church in Palestine and is encouraging us to see both the Palestinians and Israelis as Image-bearers.

I highly recommend this book, especially to people who grew up in the Western church culture and/or anyone who wants to better understand the Israel/Palestine conflict and wars in the Middle East.

4/5 because it’s a bit repetitive.

[Gregg Chastain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Burge's book is an absolute must read for anyone interested in Israel and its treatment of Palestinians. This is especially true for Evangelical Christians who have often neglected to see the many ways their unconditional support of Israel has emboldened and encouraged practices that have harmed Palestinians and have been contrary to God's claims to the Land, and his demands of Israel to love the poor, care for the foreigner, and justly compensate others.

[Kendra Fiddler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, well-researched, well-argued perspective.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this book in college but can't wait until I have a chance to pick it up again.

[John Pfund · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for those of us who grew up hearing about this conflict in our evangelical bubble.

[Neil Bassingthwaighte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read if you truly want to understand the Israel - Palestinian conflict.

[Pat Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me see that the way I was thinking about the conflict between Israel and Palestine was not Biblical.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gary Burge is Professor of New Testament and Dean of the Faculty at Calvin Theological Seminary, after having served for 25 years as a professor at Wheaton College and the staff of Willow Creek Church. He has a heart for the churches and people of the Middle East and has written several books that emphasize the meaning of the land. My husband and I have used another of his books, The Bible and the Land, with the "pilgrims" we have hosted on trips to Israel.

Lately I have been reading books from a Palestinians perspective to try to get a better understanding of their history, contemporary reality and grievances. The books have all been ultra-critical of the Zionist foundations of the State of Israel, but the arguments have been mostly historical and ideological.

This book by Burge is also critical, but from a theological and faith perspective. It's divided into three sections: first, a brief history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; second, a section on the Old Testament; and third, a section on the New Testament.

Since I am personally a fan of the prophetic works in the OT, I was most drawn to that section and believe it contains the most solid arguments. Major takeaways: God's promise of land to Abraham was contingent on whether or not his descendents would create a just and merciful society that reflected the nature of their Creator, especially their treatment of the stranger or alien among them; they really didn't "own" the land - God did and does - and they were merely tenants; and if the modern State of Israel qualifies prophetically (according to Christian Zionists) to be God's chosen people in the land, then she must also qualify ethically and morally.

I don't think the section on the NT is as strong. Burge's book Jesus and the Land, which I hope to read also, may make up this deficit.

In my experience, many evangelical Christians are wholehearted - and very uncritical - supporters of Israel and of any actions the political leadership takes. This book is a must read for those open-minded enough to consider a different perspective.

[Yemima Yulia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Berangkat dari kegelisahanku menyaksikan apa yang terjadi di Israel / Palestina selama bertahun tahun, aku terdorong untuk membeli dan membaca buku ini. Memulai halaman pertama sebagai orang yang sama sekali tak tahu apa-apa dan menjelajahi halaman demi halaman hingga tiba di akhirnya memberiku beberapa jawaban yang melegakan.
ALLAH dan kebenaranNYA tidak pernah berubah. IA tetaplah ALLAH yang berpihak pada keadilan dan kebenaran. Standar moral tertinggi yang diterapkan-NYA bagi seluruh umat manusia berlaku juga bagi bangsa pilihan-NYA Israel.
Yang menyedihkan adalah, Israel, sebagaimana semua kita selaku manusia, seringkali berusaha melupakan kebenaran yang selalu ada di hati mereka demi menjaga kepentingan dan sisi kemanusiaan mereka. Aku tetap merasakan kerinduan ALLAH agar umatNYA berbalik dari kesesatannya dan kembali pada jalan kebenaran yang selalu menjadi identitas keilahian yang dititipkan ALLAH pada mereka. Sungguh melegakan menyaksikan bahwa ada sejumlah orang Israel yang telah menyadari ini dan ikut serta dalam arak-arakan perdamaian yang berangkat justru dari kecintaan mereka kepada Israel dan ingin menyelamatkannya dari kehancuran yang lebih parah di masa depan.
Salut bagi saudara-saudaraku seiman, umat Kristen Palestina, yang walaupun mengalami berbagai-bagai perlakuan ketidakadilan, namun tak pernah kehilangan iman percaya mereka kepada TUHAN ALLAH yang sama-sama kami sembah. Aku berdoa bagi kedua bangsa ini, agar menemukan inti kebenaran ditengah-tengah hari-hari mereka yang penuh ketidakpastian. Kiranya TUHAN menerangi jalan mereka dan menunjukan apa yang menjadi maksud hati-NYA kepada mereka.

[Linda Senn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye Opening!

As a Christian, I have always been pro-Israel. Lately, I have been wrestling with the idea that God still has a special plan for Israel. Did He already fulfill His land promise to Israel in the OT and since their rejection of Christ, is the church the new Israel? While this book didn’t directly answer this question, though Burges did discuss it some, I was surprised to learn so much about Israel’s sordid history since becoming its own state. There are always 3 sides to a story, and while I understand that the Palestinians/Arabs are not without blame, I now have much more compassion and understanding of their plight.

[Lizzy MacRae Garvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book to those who want to learn about the Israel/Palestine conflict--whether you have studied it extensively or know next to nothing about it. This book was largely my introduction to the people, the land, and the conflict in Israel/Palestine. Gary Burge is a professor at Wheaton College and does a phenomenal job weaving together the theology of the land and the history of the conflict through a deeply Christian lens.

[Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really changed my thinking about Palestinians. I'm wondering after reading this if Israel is becoming an apartheid society.

[Rob Dalrymple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good look at the conflict in Israel/Palestine

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well reasoned. Gary Burge is a thoughtful scholar on this topic.

[Sidney Luckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fair, biblical and historical exposition of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict