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Christ in the Rubble: Faith, the Bible, and the Genocide in Gaza
A cry from the heart and a call to action from a Palestinian Christian pastor and theologian
In this impassioned and incisive book, Munther Isaac challenges mainstream Christians’ uncritical embrace of the modern State of Israel. Speaking from his unique vantage point as a prominent Palestinian Christian pastor and theologian, he proclaims a truth that is rarely acknowledged in Christian Israel’s campaign to eliminate the Palestinian people did not begin after October 7, 2023. Rather, the campaign is a continuation of an appalling nineteenth-century colonial project that established systems of entrenched discrimination and segregation worse than South Africa’s apartheid regime.
Writing from within the war zone, and rooted in a commitment to nonviolence and just peace, Isaac urges readers to recognize that support for Zionism’s genocidal project entails a failure to bring a properly Christian theological criticism to bear upon colonialism, racism, and empire. He calls on Christians to repent of their complicity in the destruction of the Palestinian people. And he challenges them to realign their beliefs and actions with Christ—who can be found not among perpetrators of violence, but with victims buried under the rubble of war.
In this impassioned and incisive book, Munther Isaac challenges mainstream Christians’ uncritical embrace of the modern State of Israel. Speaking from his unique vantage point as a prominent Palestinian Christian pastor and theologian, he proclaims a truth that is rarely acknowledged in Christian Israel’s campaign to eliminate the Palestinian people did not begin after October 7, 2023. Rather, the campaign is a continuation of an appalling nineteenth-century colonial project that established systems of entrenched discrimination and segregation worse than South Africa’s apartheid regime.
Writing from within the war zone, and rooted in a commitment to nonviolence and just peace, Isaac urges readers to recognize that support for Zionism’s genocidal project entails a failure to bring a properly Christian theological criticism to bear upon colonialism, racism, and empire. He calls on Christians to repent of their complicity in the destruction of the Palestinian people. And he challenges them to realign their beliefs and actions with Christ—who can be found not among perpetrators of violence, but with victims buried under the rubble of war.
279 pages, Paperback
First published March 27, 2025
78 people are currently reading
730 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
November 2, 2025
Beautifully written book. Good resource if you want a Christian analysis, as Munther Isaac references a lot of scripture, as well as his own sermons, lectures, interviews, etc. Very emotional read throughout, but an important one
May 30, 2025
A profound and powerful book. Isaac covers a wide range of material in a easy-to-read manner. Everything is heavily researched and footnoted. It is both accurate and convicting in calling out the western church for its complicity in genocide.
One of the most important books I have ever read!
"It is high time Christians unite for the sake of justice and righteousness in Palestine"
Amen!
One of the most important books I have ever read!
"It is high time Christians unite for the sake of justice and righteousness in Palestine"
Amen!
March 23, 2025
Don’t buy from Amazon! Make sure the money goes to the author. This book is so important!!
December 18, 2025
Required reading. The world is guilty of aiding and abetting a genocide.
April 23, 2025
This book was hard to read but is so prophetic for our moment and filled with truth.
I first became aware of the plight of Palestinians after spending three months in Israel in 2016. Sadly, my experience in the Holy Land did not expose me to the other side of the wall — apart from a brief visit to Bethlehem and a quick jaunt through East Jerusalem. But I never met a Palestinian in my time there and it took intentional learning to discover that I’d only ever heard one side of the story.
The ancient proverb of Solomon is timely for this conversation. “The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and cross-examines him” (Proverbs 18:17).
If the thought that Israel’s war on Palestine is immoral is new to you or irks you in some way, I humbly ask you to ask, “why?” and to engage the Palestinian perspective before you finalize your views.
And might I suggest, Munther Isaac and his prophetic book Christ in the Rubble might just be the perfect place to start.
I first became aware of the plight of Palestinians after spending three months in Israel in 2016. Sadly, my experience in the Holy Land did not expose me to the other side of the wall — apart from a brief visit to Bethlehem and a quick jaunt through East Jerusalem. But I never met a Palestinian in my time there and it took intentional learning to discover that I’d only ever heard one side of the story.
The ancient proverb of Solomon is timely for this conversation. “The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and cross-examines him” (Proverbs 18:17).
If the thought that Israel’s war on Palestine is immoral is new to you or irks you in some way, I humbly ask you to ask, “why?” and to engage the Palestinian perspective before you finalize your views.
And might I suggest, Munther Isaac and his prophetic book Christ in the Rubble might just be the perfect place to start.
September 2, 2025
I haven't read many books from a Christian perspective, and find myself moving towards learning about Christianity from the lens of Leo Tolstoy, so my own arrival at this work has an anarchist bent. I found this work to be powerful, moving, and heartbreaking. The genocide is looked at fully with acknowledging the longstanding context that makes this current turning of history even more painful and tragic. I would highly recommend anyone to read this. The final chapter is a questioning of the value of hope, if it is needed for solidarity, for progress, or if something smaller can be focused upon. I hope that one day this will be a tragedy that has begun to be healed, although in 2025, that day feels very far away indeed.
April 29, 2025
If you’re looking for something balanced and diplomatic, this isn’t it. The book is heartbroken, angry, and forceful—deliberately so. It convinced me that referring to Israel’s action in Gaza as genocide isn’t hyperbolic or sensationalist (especially today with the almost two-month aid blockade).
As with Isaac’s previous book, I at times find his deference to secular categories and paradigms of justice less than compelling. And I didn’t care for the extended passages quoted from sermons, statements, and letters in the latter half of the book.
Even so, this is must-read if you’re committed to understanding where Jesus is in this catastrophe.
As with Isaac’s previous book, I at times find his deference to secular categories and paradigms of justice less than compelling. And I didn’t care for the extended passages quoted from sermons, statements, and letters in the latter half of the book.
Even so, this is must-read if you’re committed to understanding where Jesus is in this catastrophe.
July 8, 2025
I give this book five stars not because I agree with everything in it, but because it is written so powerfully, carefully, and in a way that stirs the reader first to sorrow and lament, and then to hope for a better future. If since October 7, 2023, you have sat back as I have and simply observed what is often perceived as a "conflict" with little impact on your life, allowing yourself to be swayed easily by what your favorite political pundit or prominent pastor has to say, then this book is for you.
Dr. Isaac is a Palestinian pastor, theologian, and leader from Bethlehem who speaks from the heart. Christ in the Rubble traces how October 7 was not the beginning of a "conflict," but a continuation of a resistance movement against a colonial force that has made itself known for breaking international law and violating the Geneva Conventions in the name of fighting terrorism, all while sponsored by the world's military superpower, the United States. Isaac laments uses of violence from "both sides" of this war, and urges the Church to be a counter-force of radical love and change by following in the tradition of Martin Luther King and non-violent resistance. He provides many anecdotes of how he has successfully led in this effort both internationally and at home.
Most of all, though, Isaac laments how the Church, primarily in Western contexts, has decided to side with Empire and the kingdoms of the world, rather than with their brothers and sisters underneath the rubble in Gaza. How have we decided that allegiance to our own nation and its military allies is supreme to the Kingdom of Jesus and our fellow citizens in the gospel who happen to be living in Palestine? We have allowed fringe eschatological speculation to dictate entire foreign policies that have enabled the killing of hundreds of thousands of image bearers, not to mention the political idolatry embedded in that line of reasoning in the first place.
Isaac recounts early in the war hearing from faith leaders at Anglican and Orthodox churches in Gaza that congregants were gathered in the church for shelter during and IDF bombing. Women, Children, and Elderly were present in the sanctuary—in the innermost part of the church—where clergy thought everyone would be safe. The bombing, though, blew through all of the walls in the church, killing some and injuring many. Isaac laments this tragedy along with many others, including that of over 50,000 Palestinian lives lost, and concludes that if we want to find God in the midst of this global catastrophe, we will not find Him in our eschatological debates, political arguments, or dehumanizing rhetoric about either ethnic group. If we want to know where Jesus is present in this war, He is in the rubble, alongside the human beings who are collateral damage to the Empires of this world. He is suffering alongside those who are mourning, dying, and wondering how this could have ever happened. Lord have mercy...
Dr. Isaac is a Palestinian pastor, theologian, and leader from Bethlehem who speaks from the heart. Christ in the Rubble traces how October 7 was not the beginning of a "conflict," but a continuation of a resistance movement against a colonial force that has made itself known for breaking international law and violating the Geneva Conventions in the name of fighting terrorism, all while sponsored by the world's military superpower, the United States. Isaac laments uses of violence from "both sides" of this war, and urges the Church to be a counter-force of radical love and change by following in the tradition of Martin Luther King and non-violent resistance. He provides many anecdotes of how he has successfully led in this effort both internationally and at home.
Most of all, though, Isaac laments how the Church, primarily in Western contexts, has decided to side with Empire and the kingdoms of the world, rather than with their brothers and sisters underneath the rubble in Gaza. How have we decided that allegiance to our own nation and its military allies is supreme to the Kingdom of Jesus and our fellow citizens in the gospel who happen to be living in Palestine? We have allowed fringe eschatological speculation to dictate entire foreign policies that have enabled the killing of hundreds of thousands of image bearers, not to mention the political idolatry embedded in that line of reasoning in the first place.
Isaac recounts early in the war hearing from faith leaders at Anglican and Orthodox churches in Gaza that congregants were gathered in the church for shelter during and IDF bombing. Women, Children, and Elderly were present in the sanctuary—in the innermost part of the church—where clergy thought everyone would be safe. The bombing, though, blew through all of the walls in the church, killing some and injuring many. Isaac laments this tragedy along with many others, including that of over 50,000 Palestinian lives lost, and concludes that if we want to find God in the midst of this global catastrophe, we will not find Him in our eschatological debates, political arguments, or dehumanizing rhetoric about either ethnic group. If we want to know where Jesus is present in this war, He is in the rubble, alongside the human beings who are collateral damage to the Empires of this world. He is suffering alongside those who are mourning, dying, and wondering how this could have ever happened. Lord have mercy...
May 6, 2025
I have so many good things to say about this book and its author. I have been listening to Munther Isaac for over a year now. He is a Palestinian Christian, pastor, and theologian. He is a true peacemaker. Note, I did not say peacekeeper. He is not afraid to call out complicity, engage with injustice rather than avoiding it, and speak prophetically- even if it makes others uncomfortable. And that is exactly what he's done with this book. He's put together a case for why we as Christians should care about what's happening in Gaza and he manages to write for both those who are already aware and unaware of the situation. I wish I could make all Christians read this book. On that note- I'm happy to lend my copy to anyone interested in reading it!
"There is so much injustice in our world, oftentimes at our doorsteps. We can choose to ignore it, be silent and not take a position (which is in itself a position). Or we can choose- empowered by the Spirit, guided by our kingdom ideals, and led by our faith in a just and good God- to weep, kindle holy anger, and be foolish enough to believe we can make a difference." ~Munther Isaac
"There is so much injustice in our world, oftentimes at our doorsteps. We can choose to ignore it, be silent and not take a position (which is in itself a position). Or we can choose- empowered by the Spirit, guided by our kingdom ideals, and led by our faith in a just and good God- to weep, kindle holy anger, and be foolish enough to believe we can make a difference." ~Munther Isaac
October 8, 2025
3.5/5
The world was shocked at the brutal attack unleashed upon Israel by Hamas militants two years ago on October 7, 2023. Nearly 1200 people lost their lives that day, including 38 children. Some consider it to be Israel's "9/11," forever changing the nation. Support for Israel flooded in around the globe as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel would strike back. In particular, millions of Christians, especially evangelicals, rushed to express their commitment to Israel and the state's right to defend itself.
But has Israel's response to the October 7 Hamas attack been commensurate with the casualties who died on that day? And has the world been as concerned about the plight of the thousands of Palestinians killed and displaced? Have evangelicals expressed Christlike compassion towards the suffering of those in Gaza? Is Israel guilty of colonialism, empire, and genocide? These are the searing questions that Palestinian pastor Munther Isaac raises in Christ in the Rubble: Faith, the Bible, and the Genocide in Gaza.
This book is written in the heated midst of anguish and outrage of the devastation Israel has inflicted upon Palestine. Isaac recounts disturbing facts about Israel's conduct during the war, such as the vast number of Palestinian children killed since October 7 (as of September 2025, save the Children reports 20,000 have died). Israeli intelligence had been warned of the October 7 attacks months in advance but did not take these heightened threats seriously (p. 17). Israeli officials have openly declared their attentions occupy, starve, and exterminate Palestinians, without regard for whether they are Hamas militants or civilians (p. 23); this heinous conduct is nothing new, as Isaac draws extensive attention to the Nakba, the campaign of ethnic cleansing that Israel began in 1948. Israel (and some evangelicals) have sought to dehumanize Palestinians, even referring to them as Amalekites (thereby attempting to set the modern-day state of Israel up as the direct descendent of biblical Israel and Palestinians as the pagan peoples Yahweh instructed Israel to drive out from the Promised Land). Isaac recounts how Netanyahu has admitted that he has voiced support for Hamas as he believes that supporting Hamas will prevent the establishment of a permanent Palestinian state (pp. 90-91). Deeming Israel a colonializing oppressor, Isaac asserts that Palestinians are rooted to their land and that Israel's belligerent - and even violent - demands that Palestinians leave their homeland is fundamentally unjust.
Isaac's lament is raw, unflinching, and deeply moving. I am by no means well-read in the Israel-Palestine conflict (though recently I have read The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Very Short Introduction and Jesus and the Land: The New Testament Challenge to "Holy Land" Theology but I appreciate Isaac's very unique perspective as a Palestinian Christian committed to nonviolence. He has rightly drawn attention to the war crimes that the Netanyahu regime has committed, including the mass killing of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians. Mike Cosper will not like this book.
Given the horrific nature of the genocide in Gaza, my critiques will seem trivial and even cold, but I found the book quite repetitive and it could have easily been shortened. Isaac spends a lot of time narrating his visits to the West where he has preached to crowds, inspiring them to action through his stirring sermons but given his unique perspective as a pastor based in the West Bank, I wish he had spent less time on his global forays overseas and more time showcasing his firsthand experience of ministry in a warzone. He could have included a bit more historical background to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in this book to situate the modern-day context (to be fair, perhaps he does in his earlier book The Other Side of the Wall: A Palestinian Christian Narrative of Lament and Hope, but I haven't read it). If conservative evangelicals are too naïve about Israel's culpability in this ongoing onslaught, I do wonder if at times Isaac is too glowing about Palestinian innocence. He spends very little time documenting Palestinian-Israeli negotiations about statehood and elides Yasser Arafat's reject of the two-state proposal in 2000. Occasionally there are times where I think Isaac errs; for instance, when critiquing Russell Moore's Christianity Today article written in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, Isaac labels Moore a Southern Baptist but Moore very publicly left that denomination in 2021.
Munther Isaac is an important and prophetic voice for Christians to heed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The world was shocked at the brutal attack unleashed upon Israel by Hamas militants two years ago on October 7, 2023. Nearly 1200 people lost their lives that day, including 38 children. Some consider it to be Israel's "9/11," forever changing the nation. Support for Israel flooded in around the globe as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel would strike back. In particular, millions of Christians, especially evangelicals, rushed to express their commitment to Israel and the state's right to defend itself.
But has Israel's response to the October 7 Hamas attack been commensurate with the casualties who died on that day? And has the world been as concerned about the plight of the thousands of Palestinians killed and displaced? Have evangelicals expressed Christlike compassion towards the suffering of those in Gaza? Is Israel guilty of colonialism, empire, and genocide? These are the searing questions that Palestinian pastor Munther Isaac raises in Christ in the Rubble: Faith, the Bible, and the Genocide in Gaza.
This book is written in the heated midst of anguish and outrage of the devastation Israel has inflicted upon Palestine. Isaac recounts disturbing facts about Israel's conduct during the war, such as the vast number of Palestinian children killed since October 7 (as of September 2025, save the Children reports 20,000 have died). Israeli intelligence had been warned of the October 7 attacks months in advance but did not take these heightened threats seriously (p. 17). Israeli officials have openly declared their attentions occupy, starve, and exterminate Palestinians, without regard for whether they are Hamas militants or civilians (p. 23); this heinous conduct is nothing new, as Isaac draws extensive attention to the Nakba, the campaign of ethnic cleansing that Israel began in 1948. Israel (and some evangelicals) have sought to dehumanize Palestinians, even referring to them as Amalekites (thereby attempting to set the modern-day state of Israel up as the direct descendent of biblical Israel and Palestinians as the pagan peoples Yahweh instructed Israel to drive out from the Promised Land). Isaac recounts how Netanyahu has admitted that he has voiced support for Hamas as he believes that supporting Hamas will prevent the establishment of a permanent Palestinian state (pp. 90-91). Deeming Israel a colonializing oppressor, Isaac asserts that Palestinians are rooted to their land and that Israel's belligerent - and even violent - demands that Palestinians leave their homeland is fundamentally unjust.
Isaac's lament is raw, unflinching, and deeply moving. I am by no means well-read in the Israel-Palestine conflict (though recently I have read The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Very Short Introduction and Jesus and the Land: The New Testament Challenge to "Holy Land" Theology but I appreciate Isaac's very unique perspective as a Palestinian Christian committed to nonviolence. He has rightly drawn attention to the war crimes that the Netanyahu regime has committed, including the mass killing of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians. Mike Cosper will not like this book.
Given the horrific nature of the genocide in Gaza, my critiques will seem trivial and even cold, but I found the book quite repetitive and it could have easily been shortened. Isaac spends a lot of time narrating his visits to the West where he has preached to crowds, inspiring them to action through his stirring sermons but given his unique perspective as a pastor based in the West Bank, I wish he had spent less time on his global forays overseas and more time showcasing his firsthand experience of ministry in a warzone. He could have included a bit more historical background to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in this book to situate the modern-day context (to be fair, perhaps he does in his earlier book The Other Side of the Wall: A Palestinian Christian Narrative of Lament and Hope, but I haven't read it). If conservative evangelicals are too naïve about Israel's culpability in this ongoing onslaught, I do wonder if at times Isaac is too glowing about Palestinian innocence. He spends very little time documenting Palestinian-Israeli negotiations about statehood and elides Yasser Arafat's reject of the two-state proposal in 2000. Occasionally there are times where I think Isaac errs; for instance, when critiquing Russell Moore's Christianity Today article written in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, Isaac labels Moore a Southern Baptist but Moore very publicly left that denomination in 2021.
Munther Isaac is an important and prophetic voice for Christians to heed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
April 8, 2025
Isaac is the Pastor at Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem (which is in the West Bank, Palestine). He and his congregation have had front line seats of the horror and destruction that has taken place after the Oct 7 Hamas attacks. He is forceful in his condemnation of the Oct 7 attacks, but describes the overwhelming destruction and death of the retaliation. The writing is passionate and emotional, and yet raises obvious questions. How many Palestinians must die to avenge the Oct 7 attacks? Why must hospitals and schools be bombed? Why does the US, which calls itself a Christian nation, support a genocidal event to destroy all Palestinians? Why does the US provide bombs and missiles that destroy innocent families, with almost 50% of the casualties women and children? Why do Western Christians stay silent, condoning the death and destruction? All of these are valid questions, which should give one pause to look inside oneself and ask 'why'. He provides an abbreviated history of Gaza, West Bank, Hamas, PLO and the Nakba which helps understand the big picture since 1948.
July 30, 2025
I want everyone I know to read this book. Let the question “where were you when genocide was waged jn Gaza?” sit with you. An angry, passionate, theologically based book calling out the western church and highlighting how the church has been complicit in the genocide being committed in Gaza. I cried, lamented, and mourned reading this book. “May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in the world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done, to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.”
November 13, 2025
I read this slowly, primarily because I just couldn’t handle the sheer weight of information and anguish on each page. But woah.
Munther Isaac, a Palestinian pastor, offers such a powerful and unique perspective as he clearly details the genocide in Gaza, what lead up to it, and the world’s responses. There was so much about this topic I had no idea about. It’s heartbreaking and so frustrating to read, and yet it speaks truth to power in an unflinching and prophetic way.
Americans, especially those who follow in the way of Jesus, need to read this book as soon as possible.
Munther Isaac, a Palestinian pastor, offers such a powerful and unique perspective as he clearly details the genocide in Gaza, what lead up to it, and the world’s responses. There was so much about this topic I had no idea about. It’s heartbreaking and so frustrating to read, and yet it speaks truth to power in an unflinching and prophetic way.
Americans, especially those who follow in the way of Jesus, need to read this book as soon as possible.
May 21, 2025
A necessary and important indictment of the Western Church— likely THE most important in our generation.
I pray we would not continue to be complicit in the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza through our silence and inaction.
O God, soften our calloused hearts and reveal to us our blindness. Give us the courage to speak truth to power and embody the radical way of Jesus in how we respond to evil and injustice. May we not bear your Holy name in vain.
I pray we would not continue to be complicit in the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza through our silence and inaction.
O God, soften our calloused hearts and reveal to us our blindness. Give us the courage to speak truth to power and embody the radical way of Jesus in how we respond to evil and injustice. May we not bear your Holy name in vain.
August 7, 2025
A book everyone needs to read if they wish to understand a Palestine perspective on the genocide taking place in Gaza. Not an easy read, but an essential read. I also recommend it for those Christians who believe that supporting Israel is biblical. Munther (a Lutheran minister) clearly articulates why it isn’t.
September 27, 2025
Must read. And after that, must act. Christ is in the rubble in Gaza. And this book moves me to continue organizing with Philly dsa to push our bds campaign against israhell
December 28, 2025
Palestinian interests are connected with global struggles against empire. The Accra Confession (https://wcrc.eu/wp-content/uploads/20...) defines empire as "the coming together of economic, cultural, political and military power that constitutes a system of domination led by powerful nations to protect and defend their own interests." (104)
Rep. Lauren Boebert has claimed, "There have been two nations created to glorify God: Israel and the USA." Munther writes, "Boebert's words are most telling. They give theological language to American-Israeli exceptionalism. The United States and Israel have a special bond both horizontally with one another and vertically with God. Here the theology of empire is clearluy in play: God is on the side of empire. This gives legitimacy for even acts of violence. And it makes all those who oppose the United States and Israel enemies of God." (126)
"In this war, the Bible has even been used to justify a genocide. Such a use of the Bible calls for lament, weeping, and radical reversal. It calls for repentance. We should be outraged by the weaponization of the Bible. We should be ashamed by this violent brand of Christianity that is so far from the teachings of Jesus." (167)
"Here in Palestine, the Bible is weaponized against us. Our very own sacred text. In our terminology in Palestine, we speak of the empire. Here we confront the theology of the empire. A disguise fo superiority, supremacy, 'chosenness,' and entitlement. It is sometimes given a nice voer using words like mission and evangelism, fulfillment of prophecy, and spreading freedom and liberty. The theology of empire becomes a powerful tool to mask oppression under the cloak of divine sanction. It divides people into 'us' and 'them." It dehumanizes and demonizes. It speaks of land without people even when they know the land has people...." (179)
From Munther's sermon on the "Christ in the Rubble" installation: "This is a time to rediscover the true meaning of Christmas. The circumstances of Palestine two thousand years ago were not very different from teh circumstances in Palestine today. Then, Palestine was under the Roman occupation, and there were revolutions, and even children were massacred. When Jesus was born, he was not born in Rome, but in Bethlehem, with those under occupation." (203)
"Christ is God incarnate and is not the exclusive possession of any people group. No one people group can monopolize Christ for themselves. Christ is for all, "He is Lord of all" (Acts 10:36). And when it comes to suffering, Jesus is a refuge and comfort for all who suffer." (210)
From Mitri Raheb's book, Decolonizing Palestine: The Land, The People, the Bible. (Oribs, 2023) "Christian theology has played a role in almost all settler-colonial projects, including North America, South Africa, and Australia... yet Palestine continues to be the exception. While no one would dar today to cite the Bible to justify settler colonialism in Australia or North America, many Chrisitians and Jews have been doing exactly this for nearly two hundred years, continuing to do so this very day in Palestine." (229)
"There is so much injustice in our world, oftentimes at our doorsteps. We can choose to ignore it, be silent and not take a position (which is itself a position). Or we can. choose - empowered by the spirit, guided by our kingdom ideals, and led by our faith in. just and good God - to weep, kindle holy anger, and be foolish enough to believe we can make a difference." (231)
"Where there is injustice, the church must speak. Where there is oppression, the church must side with the oppressed. Where there is marginalization, the church must humanize the marginalized. Where there is pain, the church must bring comfort. Where there is need, the church must show generosity and compassion. The church is the voice, hands, and feet of Jesus on earth." We are called to continue his ministry on earth. The church must be visibly present in its solidarity with those suffering from injustice." (236)
"Samud is our commitment, defiance, and resolve. Commitment to continue to work for justice, to advocate for life with dignity, and to choose to hope that we will recover from this atrocity. The loss is enormous. The destruction is massive. The pain is profound and the wounds are deep, to the extent that recovery seems an illusion. It feels like being in the bottom of a deep and dark pit. It feels like the tomb of Jesus on Saturday: death, darkness, and silence. But we choose to hope. To survive. To exist. To insist that God is good. We will recover, rooted in resilience, and demand justice for our people. We will recover." (265-266)
Rep. Lauren Boebert has claimed, "There have been two nations created to glorify God: Israel and the USA." Munther writes, "Boebert's words are most telling. They give theological language to American-Israeli exceptionalism. The United States and Israel have a special bond both horizontally with one another and vertically with God. Here the theology of empire is clearluy in play: God is on the side of empire. This gives legitimacy for even acts of violence. And it makes all those who oppose the United States and Israel enemies of God." (126)
"In this war, the Bible has even been used to justify a genocide. Such a use of the Bible calls for lament, weeping, and radical reversal. It calls for repentance. We should be outraged by the weaponization of the Bible. We should be ashamed by this violent brand of Christianity that is so far from the teachings of Jesus." (167)
"Here in Palestine, the Bible is weaponized against us. Our very own sacred text. In our terminology in Palestine, we speak of the empire. Here we confront the theology of the empire. A disguise fo superiority, supremacy, 'chosenness,' and entitlement. It is sometimes given a nice voer using words like mission and evangelism, fulfillment of prophecy, and spreading freedom and liberty. The theology of empire becomes a powerful tool to mask oppression under the cloak of divine sanction. It divides people into 'us' and 'them." It dehumanizes and demonizes. It speaks of land without people even when they know the land has people...." (179)
From Munther's sermon on the "Christ in the Rubble" installation: "This is a time to rediscover the true meaning of Christmas. The circumstances of Palestine two thousand years ago were not very different from teh circumstances in Palestine today. Then, Palestine was under the Roman occupation, and there were revolutions, and even children were massacred. When Jesus was born, he was not born in Rome, but in Bethlehem, with those under occupation." (203)
"Christ is God incarnate and is not the exclusive possession of any people group. No one people group can monopolize Christ for themselves. Christ is for all, "He is Lord of all" (Acts 10:36). And when it comes to suffering, Jesus is a refuge and comfort for all who suffer." (210)
From Mitri Raheb's book, Decolonizing Palestine: The Land, The People, the Bible. (Oribs, 2023) "Christian theology has played a role in almost all settler-colonial projects, including North America, South Africa, and Australia... yet Palestine continues to be the exception. While no one would dar today to cite the Bible to justify settler colonialism in Australia or North America, many Chrisitians and Jews have been doing exactly this for nearly two hundred years, continuing to do so this very day in Palestine." (229)
"There is so much injustice in our world, oftentimes at our doorsteps. We can choose to ignore it, be silent and not take a position (which is itself a position). Or we can. choose - empowered by the spirit, guided by our kingdom ideals, and led by our faith in. just and good God - to weep, kindle holy anger, and be foolish enough to believe we can make a difference." (231)
"Where there is injustice, the church must speak. Where there is oppression, the church must side with the oppressed. Where there is marginalization, the church must humanize the marginalized. Where there is pain, the church must bring comfort. Where there is need, the church must show generosity and compassion. The church is the voice, hands, and feet of Jesus on earth." We are called to continue his ministry on earth. The church must be visibly present in its solidarity with those suffering from injustice." (236)
"Samud is our commitment, defiance, and resolve. Commitment to continue to work for justice, to advocate for life with dignity, and to choose to hope that we will recover from this atrocity. The loss is enormous. The destruction is massive. The pain is profound and the wounds are deep, to the extent that recovery seems an illusion. It feels like being in the bottom of a deep and dark pit. It feels like the tomb of Jesus on Saturday: death, darkness, and silence. But we choose to hope. To survive. To exist. To insist that God is good. We will recover, rooted in resilience, and demand justice for our people. We will recover." (265-266)
May 14, 2025
I picked up Christ in the Rubble, trying to understand more about what is going on in Gaza and the Middle East. The author, Munther Isaac, was ordained a minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) in 2016. The book's cover says he serves as pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas (not a typo) Church in Bethlehem and the Lutheran Church in Beit Sahour.
Some of what I learned: Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth are Palestinian cities, (p. 210) even though Nazareth is located in Israel. Nakba is the Arabic word Palestinians use to describe the mass displacement and dispossession that took place in 1948 (p. 35) and means “catastrophe.” (p. 45) About 75 percent of all Palestinians were expelled from their homeland by Israeli Zionists in 1947-1949. (p. 45) The Gaza strip comprises 141 square miles of land along the Mediterranean Sea, next to Sinai, 25 miles long and 7.5 miles wide. (p. 73) Before 2023, 1.7 million of Gaza's 2.1 million inhabitants were refugees from the Nakba. (p. 74) By 2023, the number of Christians in Gaza declined from 3,000 to 1,000. (p. 85)
The section on Hamas (pp. 79-85) is interesting. Pastor Isaac describes Hamas as an Islamic political and militant group that was founded in 1987 by Ahmed Yasin and Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi, getting it's name from the Islamic Resistance Movement, with ideology from the Muslim Brotherhood. (p. 79) Its initial founding charter declares Palestine as an Islamic Waqf, an Islamic trust from God, “consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgement Day,” and quotes Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.” (p. 80) The charter was modified in 2017 and Pastor Isaac believes it presents an understated compromise toward a “two-state solution” and notes a distinction between Zionism and Judaism, even though the charter states “. . . Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea. . . .” (p. 81)
According to Pastor Isaac, “The years in which Hamas was in charge of Gaza have not been convenient for Christians . . . Palestinian Christians do not support Hamas's religious ideology . . . They also are opposed to Hamas's vision of a religious state.” (pp. 82-83). Further, “Hamas is a response to Israeli colonialism.” (p. 83) Later in the book, he states that it's ultimately up to Israel to decide about the one-state or two-state questions (p. 256) but also that “we must work on global boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) actions against Israel.” (p. 257)
As a theologian, Pastor Isaac goes into detail about his sermons and path to inform the Church and the world about his hope and prayers for peace in Gaza. Notably, when the Jewish Jesus was born, Bethlehem was occupied by the Romans. If Jesus were born today, he would be born in the rubble, in territory occupied by Israeli Zionists.
This is a constantly changing situation. Pastor Isaac uses a lot of politically charged language, but it's one of many resources to consider.
Some of what I learned: Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth are Palestinian cities, (p. 210) even though Nazareth is located in Israel. Nakba is the Arabic word Palestinians use to describe the mass displacement and dispossession that took place in 1948 (p. 35) and means “catastrophe.” (p. 45) About 75 percent of all Palestinians were expelled from their homeland by Israeli Zionists in 1947-1949. (p. 45) The Gaza strip comprises 141 square miles of land along the Mediterranean Sea, next to Sinai, 25 miles long and 7.5 miles wide. (p. 73) Before 2023, 1.7 million of Gaza's 2.1 million inhabitants were refugees from the Nakba. (p. 74) By 2023, the number of Christians in Gaza declined from 3,000 to 1,000. (p. 85)
The section on Hamas (pp. 79-85) is interesting. Pastor Isaac describes Hamas as an Islamic political and militant group that was founded in 1987 by Ahmed Yasin and Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi, getting it's name from the Islamic Resistance Movement, with ideology from the Muslim Brotherhood. (p. 79) Its initial founding charter declares Palestine as an Islamic Waqf, an Islamic trust from God, “consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgement Day,” and quotes Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.” (p. 80) The charter was modified in 2017 and Pastor Isaac believes it presents an understated compromise toward a “two-state solution” and notes a distinction between Zionism and Judaism, even though the charter states “. . . Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea. . . .” (p. 81)
According to Pastor Isaac, “The years in which Hamas was in charge of Gaza have not been convenient for Christians . . . Palestinian Christians do not support Hamas's religious ideology . . . They also are opposed to Hamas's vision of a religious state.” (pp. 82-83). Further, “Hamas is a response to Israeli colonialism.” (p. 83) Later in the book, he states that it's ultimately up to Israel to decide about the one-state or two-state questions (p. 256) but also that “we must work on global boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) actions against Israel.” (p. 257)
As a theologian, Pastor Isaac goes into detail about his sermons and path to inform the Church and the world about his hope and prayers for peace in Gaza. Notably, when the Jewish Jesus was born, Bethlehem was occupied by the Romans. If Jesus were born today, he would be born in the rubble, in territory occupied by Israeli Zionists.
This is a constantly changing situation. Pastor Isaac uses a lot of politically charged language, but it's one of many resources to consider.
April 14, 2025
This is probably the most convicting book I've ever read. Isaac powerfully shares the perspective of life as a Palestinian under Israeli occupation from a first hand experience. Though I came into the book sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, I found myself crushed reading more about the history of Palestine, the brutal nature of the apartheid and the sheer scale and the personal stories from the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Munther does a great job providing clear detail regarding much of the history between Israel and the Palestinian people since the Nakba, but I found the context around the Gaza blockade to be especially insightful. This book does not throw around the terms genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid or settler-colonialism lightly or from a purely emotional standpoint, but rather clearly defines the terms and makes an irrefutable case that Israel is guilty of all of the above.
The reason this book was so convicting though was because of the role that American Christians have played in perpetuating these atrocities because of our silence and complicity that stems largely from terrible Zionist theology. Isaac tackles all of this repeatedly throughout the book, constantly appealing to scripture and to our basic humanity. Many of us Christians believe that we would always be the courageous people that speak up against injustice and strive to powerfully demonstrate the ethics of the kingdom of God. There is no way we would have sat silent if we were a German church in the 1930s! Of course we would've spoke out against slavery and Jim Crow if we were a church in the south! The unfortunate reality is that most American Christians would probably be doing back then whatever they are doing today during the most well-documented genocide in human history - and that is staying silent or even supporting it. I pray this can change and change quickly. Though Isaac is very real about the suffering and pain of himself and his people, he still is able to maintain a resilient hope that is so profound and strong amongst the Palestinian people. Cannot recommend this book enough.
The reason this book was so convicting though was because of the role that American Christians have played in perpetuating these atrocities because of our silence and complicity that stems largely from terrible Zionist theology. Isaac tackles all of this repeatedly throughout the book, constantly appealing to scripture and to our basic humanity. Many of us Christians believe that we would always be the courageous people that speak up against injustice and strive to powerfully demonstrate the ethics of the kingdom of God. There is no way we would have sat silent if we were a German church in the 1930s! Of course we would've spoke out against slavery and Jim Crow if we were a church in the south! The unfortunate reality is that most American Christians would probably be doing back then whatever they are doing today during the most well-documented genocide in human history - and that is staying silent or even supporting it. I pray this can change and change quickly. Though Isaac is very real about the suffering and pain of himself and his people, he still is able to maintain a resilient hope that is so profound and strong amongst the Palestinian people. Cannot recommend this book enough.
September 15, 2025
Christ in the Rubble is a powerful, extended sermon and plea for real understanding and peace in Gaza and for real respect and compassion for the Palestinians. Reverend Isaac sets out a brief history of the current situation in its historical and political context with clear evidence and documentation of the intent from 1948 of modern Israel to defraud Palestinians of their homeland. The strategy of the current Israeli government and leaders includes colonization, apartheid, and genocide. Reverend Issac further presents the distortion and misuse of the Bible and theologies by those who maintain that these Zionists (Israel) are only defending themselves. But more than these, Reverend Issac relates the impacts on real people -- this is a very human story and tragedy of antisemitism and anti-Palestinianism. Further, Reverend Issac makes a clear case for the lack of compassion from the Christian Church globally mars Christian Witness.
The book is more than powerful and calls all those in the West, especially in the United States and those who call themselves Christians to a profound confession, repentance, and compassionate response.
The book contains a Foreword, an Introduction, eight chapters, an Epilogue, and an Acknowledgements section.
The book is compelling, well wirtten, and well documented. It is a must-read.
The book is more than powerful and calls all those in the West, especially in the United States and those who call themselves Christians to a profound confession, repentance, and compassionate response.
The book contains a Foreword, an Introduction, eight chapters, an Epilogue, and an Acknowledgements section.
The book is compelling, well wirtten, and well documented. It is a must-read.
October 20, 2025
Rev. Munther Isaac, a Palestinian Christian pastor in Bethlehem, calls for those who have supported Zionist Israel to repent their actions and work for a peaceful and just solution to the genocide going on in Gaza. He refutes several myths that include:
-that the Israel that formed in 1948 is the same as the Israel of the Bible.
-that the land given to Jews in 1948 was "empty land" when it was inhabited by some where around 200,000 Palestinians who had occupied it for centurie.
-that the current war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023 when it began in 1948.
-that land given to the Zonists was owed to them by the Holocaust.
-that the thousand of Palestianin who have die due to Israeli Defense Forces actions are a just response to Hamas actions on Oct. 7.
-that Christian should suport Israel because this will bring about Jesus' Second Coming.
-that this is a conflict between Hama and Israel implying that this is an equal fight.
-that Israel is not committing war crimes like genocide, colonialism and apartheid.
-that this is a part of an Arab-Israel conflict going back to Abraham.
Throughout the book there are heart-breaking stories of family's homes destroyed, civilian including women and children killed and brutality on the part of Israel's military.
Highly recommended reading for those who want the full story of what is going on in Gaza and other places in Israel.
-that the Israel that formed in 1948 is the same as the Israel of the Bible.
-that the land given to Jews in 1948 was "empty land" when it was inhabited by some where around 200,000 Palestinians who had occupied it for centurie.
-that the current war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023 when it began in 1948.
-that land given to the Zonists was owed to them by the Holocaust.
-that the thousand of Palestianin who have die due to Israeli Defense Forces actions are a just response to Hamas actions on Oct. 7.
-that Christian should suport Israel because this will bring about Jesus' Second Coming.
-that this is a conflict between Hama and Israel implying that this is an equal fight.
-that Israel is not committing war crimes like genocide, colonialism and apartheid.
-that this is a part of an Arab-Israel conflict going back to Abraham.
Throughout the book there are heart-breaking stories of family's homes destroyed, civilian including women and children killed and brutality on the part of Israel's military.
Highly recommended reading for those who want the full story of what is going on in Gaza and other places in Israel.
April 6, 2025
This an excellent book from a Palestinian pastor in Bethlehem. It expresses the disappointment in particular of the western church, and tears down their theological arguments for supporting the genocide that is even now happening in Gaza. It is well researched with footnotes for everything he references, whether speeches or historical notes.
He speaks of his own personal interactions with church and government officials, speaking in churches, and how people of different religions are coming together in hope for a different future. Of course it’s not simple. But we end on a note of hope. Hope, survival and sumud - steadfastness.
This book reminds me of the continued resilience that Palestinians (and other oppressed peoples) have. How they continue to speak against apartheid and genocide even when the risk is high, and how the rest of us can too. I hope to share this book, or things I learned in it at least (for I fear many will not want to read it because it has an ‘agenda’ - one of love, but one they don’t agree with). The lessons I’ve learned in it can be shared with people less receptive to the actual book, and I will be going that. Definitely an important book to read.
He speaks of his own personal interactions with church and government officials, speaking in churches, and how people of different religions are coming together in hope for a different future. Of course it’s not simple. But we end on a note of hope. Hope, survival and sumud - steadfastness.
This book reminds me of the continued resilience that Palestinians (and other oppressed peoples) have. How they continue to speak against apartheid and genocide even when the risk is high, and how the rest of us can too. I hope to share this book, or things I learned in it at least (for I fear many will not want to read it because it has an ‘agenda’ - one of love, but one they don’t agree with). The lessons I’ve learned in it can be shared with people less receptive to the actual book, and I will be going that. Definitely an important book to read.
June 16, 2025
In undergrad at Bible college we had professors who were missionaries on furlough who worked in Palestine. Way back in 2012 is when I first started learning from them about the atrocities being committed to Palestine from Israel. I read this book because Carrie, the missionary mentioned above posted that she was also reading it. It gives a deeply personal and intimate depiction of what is truly happening in Gaza. When talking to her about the book this is what I said and I feel like it really sums up my experience with this book. "It's really hard to read and makes me realize that while I knew the church of the West was in rough shape, we are worse off than I realized. I appreciate his honesty and not holding anything back. And I've been trying to welcome the conviction instead of being defensive towards it." This book calls out EVERYONE not just the church for our compliance in the genocide and apartheid that is currently happening. It is our responsibility to be demanding a ceasefire.
June 25, 2025
"And let me say this: We will not accept your apology after the genocide. What has been done, has been done. I want you to look at the mirror, and ask: where was I when Gaza was going through a genocide?"
Munther Isaac, p. 117
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
Matthew 18:21-22 NIV
"if there is such a thing as a 'Judeo-Christian' tradition, it consists of Christians persecuting Jews. We can talk about years of theological antisemitism, which produced hateful attitudes toward Jews, which in turn culminated in the evil of the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were killed in the most brutal ways imaginable. European Christians, not Arab Muslims, committed these evils.'
p. 40
"And I will be the first to admit that some forms of antisemitism exist among Palestinians and pro-Palestinan groups and individuals. But antisemitism is not a Palestinian problem as much as it is a Western problem."
p. 235
Munther Isaac, p. 117
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
Matthew 18:21-22 NIV
"if there is such a thing as a 'Judeo-Christian' tradition, it consists of Christians persecuting Jews. We can talk about years of theological antisemitism, which produced hateful attitudes toward Jews, which in turn culminated in the evil of the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were killed in the most brutal ways imaginable. European Christians, not Arab Muslims, committed these evils.'
p. 40
"And I will be the first to admit that some forms of antisemitism exist among Palestinians and pro-Palestinan groups and individuals. But antisemitism is not a Palestinian problem as much as it is a Western problem."
p. 235
November 8, 2025
First person account of the genocide in Gaza written by a Palestinian Christian minister. It is a history, a documentation, a lament, an indictment, and a plea for a moral response written during the first year of the Israeli attacks following the Hamas insurgency on October 3, 2023. Since the book’s publication things only got worse. A powerful indictment against Israel and the West’s policies and the role played by the Christian church and the Muslim religion to justify and support colonization, apartheid and genocide against Palestinians in what we now know as Israel and the ineffectiveness of the international courts to be able to enforce their rulings. While being shockingly and heartbreakingly informative I also felt Rev. Issac’s pain, frustration, outrage and anger resulted in attacks and accusations and expectations that to me seemed at times naive and inconsistent. That doesn’t detract from his main points but I think it weakened his appeal.
January 30, 2026
A must-read as Munther writes from such a unique perspective, that of a Palestinian Christian. He raises important issues of Palestian sovereignty and independence through the lense of equality with other nation-states. He also gives voice to the distinction of a biblical mandate for the existence of Israel and how that is now used as a foundational justification by governments around the world to support Israel carte blanche and thus inherently makes this conflict a religious one.
It is challenging to read at times due to Munther's emotional tenor throughout the book. At times, the structure seems repetitive and slightly unorganized (instead of a through arrow through his arguments about how to accurately assess the current reality in Gaza, he seems to repeat certain phrases with the goal of provoking emotional outrage in response to an event). He also shares his justication of his own actions, creating a vibe of both a memoir and persuasive exposition at the same time..
It is challenging to read at times due to Munther's emotional tenor throughout the book. At times, the structure seems repetitive and slightly unorganized (instead of a through arrow through his arguments about how to accurately assess the current reality in Gaza, he seems to repeat certain phrases with the goal of provoking emotional outrage in response to an event). He also shares his justication of his own actions, creating a vibe of both a memoir and persuasive exposition at the same time..
February 1, 2026
We live in a world where it seems we are in a constantly moving news cycle of one tragedy to another and we're unceasingly being fed a narrative of how to interpret those tragedies in a way that allows us to mourn but move on. Due to the overwhelming number of difficult situations occuring in the world, it has become easy to end up ignoring them all to sit comfortably in our own bubble blissfully ignorant to our compromise or complicity instead of allowing them to actually convict and disturb us to prayer. Munther Isaac presents a blunt, stark, shocking, convicting, heart-breaking, and eye-opening Christian theological perspective on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the complicity of the Western Church and U.S. / Global military-industrial complex that has obliterated Gaza and the lives of thousands. But it's not just about Gaza, it is a cry for the church to recognize the ways in which we've replaced our donkey-riding foot-washing King of meekness and lowliness with empire and repent.
December 20, 2025
"Today, while Gaza screams, 'I am thirsty,' they drop aid from the sky, stained with the blood of innocents. Gaza is thirsty, and they gave Gaza vinegar. We searched for God in this war. We cried out to Him, and there is no answer, it seems, until we encounter the Son of Gos hanging on the cross, crying out, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' Why did you let me be crucifed? Alone? While I am innocent?"
"Can we in the midst of pain and suffering think beyond our Good Friday? Can we even dare to imagine Sunday?"
I will be honest to myself, the only one reading this (I HOPE.) I could not finish Rev. Izhaq's book. I could not bring myself to read the epilogue. I hope I can come back to it someday with just a little more faith. To move past Friday, I suppose.
"Can we in the midst of pain and suffering think beyond our Good Friday? Can we even dare to imagine Sunday?"
I will be honest to myself, the only one reading this (I HOPE.) I could not finish Rev. Izhaq's book. I could not bring myself to read the epilogue. I hope I can come back to it someday with just a little more faith. To move past Friday, I suppose.
June 6, 2025
This is a powerful and thoughtful lament. His work to contextualize certain aspects of the situation (the emergence of Hamas, the Palestinian opinions of Hamas, the actions of Israel in the West Bank, etc.) are very helpful. His deployment of loaded terms (genocide, apartheid, settler-colonial state) is provocative, but backed up with careful definitions. Some of the later chapters would have been better suited as appendices, but that's a minor quibble with the structure of the book. Overall, I think this is an important perspective that Western Christians should be aware of.
Full video review here: https://youtu.be/Pt2-Q-n24tk
Full video review here: https://youtu.be/Pt2-Q-n24tk
July 29, 2025
I finished this some time ago--was reading for a book club--and cannot believe I have not reported on it till now. Munther Isaac is a remarkable Christian and a remarkable writer: lucid, passionate, and honest. If you have been curious about who the Palestinians actually are and are open to hearing from a Lutheran pastor, you cannot do better than to read this book. It's already tragically out of date; the violence against innocent Palestinians has gotten so much worse than when he wrote it. But it is still an essential read for those who are willing to ask theological questions and to sit with uncomfortable truths.
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