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Christians in Palestine
Christians in Palestine is journalist Jean Rolin’s highly personalized account of the lives of the Arab Christian population in Palestine. Set on the eve of the Iraq War, when Rolin visited Bethlehem, Ramallah and Jerusalem, this detailed portrayal reveals a people torn between their religious beliefs and their Arab patriotism, loathe to criticize their Muslim leaders and eager to blame their misfortune on the Israelis. Despite the importance of the community as guardians of the holy sites of Christianity, the Palestinian Christians suffer under a society governed by increasingly radicalized fundamentalist Islamic beliefs. As a consequence of the ongoing Middle East conflict, the Palestinian Christian rate of emigration is so high that they are now on the verge extinction, despite their presence in Palestine for over 2,000 years. Abandoned by their leadership and the international community, many believe that Palestinian Christianity will soon die if a peaceful resolution cannot be found between Israel and Palestine.
Through his eloquent descriptions of the landscape and his intimate portrait of a community under siege, award-winning journalist Jean Rolin captures a little known aspect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in vivid detail. Jean Rolin ’s journalism has won many awards in France, including the Albert Londres Prize and the Prix Médicis. Christians is his first book to be translated into English.
Through his eloquent descriptions of the landscape and his intimate portrait of a community under siege, award-winning journalist Jean Rolin captures a little known aspect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in vivid detail. Jean Rolin ’s journalism has won many awards in France, including the Albert Londres Prize and the Prix Médicis. Christians is his first book to be translated into English.
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
3 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Jean Rolin
43 books12 followersJean Rolin is a French writer and journalist known for his distinctive narrative style and profound exploration of sociopolitical issues. Born on June 14, 1949, in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, Rolin has had a career marked by an interplay between journalism and literature. His works often blend fiction and reportage, creating a unique hybrid that reflects his sharp observational skills and deep engagement with the world.
Rolin studied literature at the University of Paris but found himself drawn to the tumultuous political landscape of the 1960s. He became actively involved in leftist movements, an experience that later influenced his writing, particularly in his nuanced depictions of political and social dynamics.
His career as a journalist took him to various parts of the globe, including Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. These experiences enriched his literary work, as he frequently draws upon his travels to craft vivid narratives. His writing captures not only the physical landscapes but also the complexities of human existence in these regions.
Rolin’s literary debut came in 1980 with "Journal de Gand aux Aléoutiennes, a work that set the tone for his blend of memoir, travelogue, and fiction. He has since published numerous books, including L'Explosion de la durite (1997), Le Ravissement de Britney Spears (2011), and Les Événements (2020). His works are characterized by an understated yet incisive humor, a keen eye for detail, and an ability to illuminate the absurdities of contemporary life.
In addition to his literary achievements, Rolin has been recognized with several awards, including the prestigious Prix Médicis in 1996 for L'Homme qui a vu l'ours and the Prix Ptolémée in 2014 for Ormuz.
Rolin studied literature at the University of Paris but found himself drawn to the tumultuous political landscape of the 1960s. He became actively involved in leftist movements, an experience that later influenced his writing, particularly in his nuanced depictions of political and social dynamics.
His career as a journalist took him to various parts of the globe, including Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. These experiences enriched his literary work, as he frequently draws upon his travels to craft vivid narratives. His writing captures not only the physical landscapes but also the complexities of human existence in these regions.
Rolin’s literary debut came in 1980 with "Journal de Gand aux Aléoutiennes, a work that set the tone for his blend of memoir, travelogue, and fiction. He has since published numerous books, including L'Explosion de la durite (1997), Le Ravissement de Britney Spears (2011), and Les Événements (2020). His works are characterized by an understated yet incisive humor, a keen eye for detail, and an ability to illuminate the absurdities of contemporary life.
In addition to his literary achievements, Rolin has been recognized with several awards, including the prestigious Prix Médicis in 1996 for L'Homme qui a vu l'ours and the Prix Ptolémée in 2014 for Ormuz.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 11, 2018
I’m glad I read it. The author, a French journalist, writes of his conversations with the people (Christians mainly, but others as well) around the West Bank and Bethlehem in particular, but throughout the region. His conversations with the person in the street, and the religious leaders (particularly among the Christians) are interesting - but I never felt like he put it all together. Some of the comments he heard that were held in common, pointed in one direction or another, but it was not followed up on rather than to simply share the story and what his thought was that the comment was pointing out. It was quite helpful in thinking about how to listen to people.
May 30, 2025
A French journalist's account of time spent amongst West Bank Christians. His natural sympathies seem to lie with Israel; he often adopts an incredulous or contemptuous tone when reporting the comments of Christians who identify with Palestinian nationalism.
August 18, 2012
I read Jean Rolin's book called Christians in Palestine (titled Chrétiens in French) in... about 2 hours. I'm not sure if I absorbed it so quickly because I wanted to know what was going to happen next or because on so many levels I felt I, or close family members, could relate to it so much... Probably a mix of the two. It's basically his account of his encounters with Christian families and church leaders while in Palestine/Israel, as well as Christian-Muslim-Jewish relations there. Thanks to having visited Palestine/Israel, I felt like I was right there with him, in Bethlehem and Jerusalem and Ramallah visiting those places and families...
I'm a proud owner of this book (which for some reason was pretty hard for me to find), but reading it definitely felt bittersweet. Bittersweet because it's such a complex situation, and because this book highlights another layer of complexity within that very complex situation...
I definitely can't and won't pretend that I know what Jean Rolin felt during or even after his experience that led to the writing of his book. But I just got the impression that his conclusion was a sort of "this was a rather pointless effort on my part"-kind of closure. I felt like maybe he went into his project with so much hope and enthusiasm only to end up feeling a bit let down by the shocking and unexpected reality of things... of course that's my own interpretation of it.
But regardless of how he felt, if I could, I would honestly thank him for going through all that and for caring enough to write a book about it because it really moved me. Thanks to the personal writing style, I was so absorbed that I sometimes felt like he was writing it specifically for me, like I was witnessing something that so few others care about.
Just as Edward Said's biography moved me, this did as well (although of course, in an entirely different manner). Jean Rolin, a French journalist and self-proclaimed non-believer (at least at the time? who knows if that has changed or not) didn't have to care and to decide to take on a project all by himself concerning Christians in the Holy Land. But he did. And for that, I truly respect and praise him. And I'm sure others more familiar with his work (like the whole country of France perhaps? since that's where his work is well-known) do as well.
This is a must-read for all, but especially for Americans who are already often provided with a one-sided view of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and are sadly even less aware of the CHRISTIAN Palestinian (note: non-evangelical) population present in the Holy Land.
I'm a proud owner of this book (which for some reason was pretty hard for me to find), but reading it definitely felt bittersweet. Bittersweet because it's such a complex situation, and because this book highlights another layer of complexity within that very complex situation...
I definitely can't and won't pretend that I know what Jean Rolin felt during or even after his experience that led to the writing of his book. But I just got the impression that his conclusion was a sort of "this was a rather pointless effort on my part"-kind of closure. I felt like maybe he went into his project with so much hope and enthusiasm only to end up feeling a bit let down by the shocking and unexpected reality of things... of course that's my own interpretation of it.
But regardless of how he felt, if I could, I would honestly thank him for going through all that and for caring enough to write a book about it because it really moved me. Thanks to the personal writing style, I was so absorbed that I sometimes felt like he was writing it specifically for me, like I was witnessing something that so few others care about.
Just as Edward Said's biography moved me, this did as well (although of course, in an entirely different manner). Jean Rolin, a French journalist and self-proclaimed non-believer (at least at the time? who knows if that has changed or not) didn't have to care and to decide to take on a project all by himself concerning Christians in the Holy Land. But he did. And for that, I truly respect and praise him. And I'm sure others more familiar with his work (like the whole country of France perhaps? since that's where his work is well-known) do as well.
This is a must-read for all, but especially for Americans who are already often provided with a one-sided view of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and are sadly even less aware of the CHRISTIAN Palestinian (note: non-evangelical) population present in the Holy Land.
November 15, 2011
Libros del Asteroirde ha traducido recientemente "Cristianos" testimonio que el periodista francés Jean Rolin -un habitual de las zonas de conflicto- escribió en 2003 tras pasar las navidades del 2002 en Belén. El autor "un descreído" como él mismo se define, llega poco después de que terminase el sitio de la basílica de Belén por los soldados israelíes, que imponen el toque de queda en la ciudad donde nació Jesús. El periodista se propone relatar las penosas condiciones en las que viven los cristianos palestinos, sometidos a las idénticas condiciones por parte de los judíos por convivir con los musulmanes y despreciados por estos por su condición de cristianos.
El libro sigue un esquema de libro de viaje, más que de crónica peridística. Recuerda algo al viaje a la Alcarria, con el periodista descubriendo lugares y sobre todo personajes que le acogen, le cuentan y que viven en un medio hostil. El miedo, el odio, pero sobre todo el amor, el sacrificio, la fe son algo en este relato de andar por casa, tema habitual entre las cacerolas, y la televisión de cientos de crisotianos que sobreviven en Palestina. La virtud del libro de Rolin es que a él no le mueve ni la fe, ni la política, ni ninguna otra motivación que podría convertir el relato en tendencioso. De hecho muchas el propio autor relata actitudes que él mismo no entiende, sólo inteligibles para el lector que comparte con los protagonistas un cariño más profundo por la tierra que habitan. Imprescindible.Christians in Palestine
El libro sigue un esquema de libro de viaje, más que de crónica peridística. Recuerda algo al viaje a la Alcarria, con el periodista descubriendo lugares y sobre todo personajes que le acogen, le cuentan y que viven en un medio hostil. El miedo, el odio, pero sobre todo el amor, el sacrificio, la fe son algo en este relato de andar por casa, tema habitual entre las cacerolas, y la televisión de cientos de crisotianos que sobreviven en Palestina. La virtud del libro de Rolin es que a él no le mueve ni la fe, ni la política, ni ninguna otra motivación que podría convertir el relato en tendencioso. De hecho muchas el propio autor relata actitudes que él mismo no entiende, sólo inteligibles para el lector que comparte con los protagonistas un cariño más profundo por la tierra que habitan. Imprescindible.Christians in Palestine
February 24, 2016
Cristianos es el relato del viaje del periodista Jean Rolin a Palestina. Su objetivo es llegar a conocer a este singular grupo del que no se habla en las noticias: una minoría asentada en Tierra Santa que se mantiene a pesar de los conflictos actuales.
A camino entre una guía de viaje y de un ensayo, Rolin aprovecha para reflexionar sobre la situación en la que se encuentran. Libro necesario para todos aquellos que tengáis curiosidad para conocer en profundidad un ápice más de la situación en Palestina.
https://lahierbaroja.wordpress.com/20...
A camino entre una guía de viaje y de un ensayo, Rolin aprovecha para reflexionar sobre la situación en la que se encuentran. Libro necesario para todos aquellos que tengáis curiosidad para conocer en profundidad un ápice más de la situación en Palestina.
https://lahierbaroja.wordpress.com/20...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews