Across the Divide Podcast

In the inaugural episode of our series on Christian Zionism, Daniel Bannoura has a conversation with Robert O. Smith about the roots of Christian Zionism. Robert traces it back to the Reformation in the 16th century and explores its expansion throughout Europe, Britain, and the United States.  In their extended conversation for our Patreon supporters, Daniel and Robert explore the relevance of thi...

This is the final episode in our Christ at the Checkpoint. It it, co-hosts Daniel and Jen discuss their highlights from the series and answer listener questions. They share more about their journeys as they relate to Christ at the Checkpoint, and they dig into important topics related to Christian Zionism, biblical interpretation, the witness of Palestinian Christians, education in pro-Israel chur...

This episode in our Christ at the Checkpoint Series features Shireen Awwad Hilal, Palestinian Christian community developer and peace activist. At CATC she gave a presentation titled “Witness for Justice in Action [in Genocide]." In this episode, clips from her presentation are interwoven with her conversation with Abeer about the challenges of confronting historical truths and how these truths ar...

This episode in our Christ at the Checkpoint Series features Anton Deik, a Palestinian biblical scholar from Bethlehem. At CATC he gave a presentation titled “Missiology After Gaza: Christian Zionism, God’s Image, and the Gospel." In this episode, clips from his presentation are interwoven with his conversation with Daniel about Christian Zionist support for Israel and how it negatively harms the...

This episode in our Christ at the Checkpoint Series features René August, South African priest, leader, and activist. At CATC she gave a presentation titled “Decolonizing the Ways We Read the Bible." In this episode, clips from her presentation are interwoven with her conversation with Jen about God's movement of power in Scripture and tools for reading the Bible with a decolonizing hermeneutic. T...

This episode in our Christ at the Checkpoint series features Lamma Mansour, Palestinian Christian scholar. At CATC she gave a presentation titled “Still, Hope." In this episode, clips from her presentation are interwoven with her conversation with Abeer about the role of faith and hope in times of oppression. They also explore the role of the church's prophetic voice in confronting injustices and...

In episode 4 of our Christ at the Checkpoint series we host author and activist Lisa Sharon Harper. At CATC she gave a presentation titled “Four Words that Change Everything." Here clips from Lisa's presentation are interwoven with a conversation with Daniel dissecting the 4 words and their application to the Palestinian and black experience in the U.S. Lisa Sharon Harper is a prolific speaker, wr...

This episode in our Christ at the Checkpoint series features Shane Claiborne, renowned Christian activist and author. At CATC he gave a presentation titled “Good Trouble on Good Friday." In this episode, clips from his presentation are interwoven with his conversation with Jen about taking our faith to the streets and resisting violence with love. Shane Claiborne is a prominent speaker, activist,...

The second episode in this special Christ at the Checkpoint series features Ruth Padilla DeBorst, Latin American theologian and teacher. At CATC she gave a presentation titled “The Mission of the Church in Contexts of Oppression." In this episode we play clips from her presentation, and Daniel asks a few questions about some of the key issues she addresses in her talk. Ruth Padilla DeBorst is a th...

We start this special mini-series on Christ at the Checkpoint with Fares Abraham, a Christian Palestinian American and CEO of Levant Ministries. At CATC he gave a presentation titled “A Christ-Centered response to what’s happening in Gaza”. In this episode we play clips from his presentation, and Daniel asks him a few questions about some of the issues he brought up. We also provide an exclusive i...

We're excited to bring you this special series of 7 episodes that features talks and in-depth interviews with international and Palestinian theologians and speakers who spoke at the renown "Christ at the Checkpoint" conference, which was held at Bethlehem Bible College this past May. We will also be providing extended interviews with the speakers that will only be available to our Patreon members....

In this episode, Jen has a conversation with Kevin Vollrath, an American Christian who has spends time with Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem. Kevin shares about his experiences in the West Bank for the past three years and how he’s seen violence against Palestinians rise since October 7th, 2023. They also discuss disability in the context of the Israeli occupation, and unpack the acute threats...

In this episode, co-host Abeer has a conversation with Courtney Reeve, a Canadian doctoral student at Durham University, UK, currently residing in the Occupied West Bank to conduct her research with Musalaha, a faith-based organization. They explore a range of topics, including Courtney's firsthand experiences during and after October 7th, her deep insights into the trauma faced by Palestinians, a...

In this episode Daniel has a conversation with Thandi Gamedze, a South African poet and educator. They discuss the Kairos Document, which was released by South African theologians in 1985 in response to the theologies of violence and discrimination by the apartheid state and South African church. They also reflect on the impact of that document and its relationship to the Kairos Palestine document...

In this episode, Daniel has a conversation with Mennonite pastor Amy Yoder McGloughlin. They discuss the history of the Mennonite church, and the role that Mennonite theology plays in shaping her advocacy and peace work in Palestine-Israel.  Amy Yoder McGloughlin is a Mennonite pastor living in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on the traditional lands of the Lenape people. She received her theologica...

In this episode, co-host Jen has a conversation with writer, educator, and activist Azmera Hammouri-Davis. This conversation explores the harms of Christian nationalism and theologies of supremacy, and delves into the scriptures that call us to enact justice and love. Azmera shares about her intersecting identities as a Black Palestinian Christian, poet, and musician, and the ways her faith has sh...

In this episode we hear from father David Neuhaus a Jewish-background South African Jesuit priest who is also an Israeli citizen. Fr. Nauhaus shared with us his background of growing up as a Jew in apartheid-era South Africa, and his journey moving to Israel and being transformed by his encounters with both Israelis and Palestinians. This is a very insightful and powerful conversation that you don...

In this episode, Jen has a conversation with Palestinian Christian scholar Lamma Mansour. This episode delves into the practice of lament--exploring the importance of lament in the Church, how we can lament the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and why it is often difficult for the Western Church to lament. Lamma also shares about her experience as a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship and about her rese...

In this episode, Daniel and Jen have a conversation with Anton Deik, a Palestinian Bible scholar, about the biblical understanding of justice and its relationship to mission and evangelism. Anton challenges the prevailing understanding among some Christians that social and political issues are not part of the gospel, and provides a compelling biblical case for the interconnectedness of justice wit...

This is a rich conversation Daniel and Jen had with Matthew Vega, a Black-Mexican theologian at the University of Chicago. Topics discussed during the conversation include an exploration of black theology, the history of black solidarity with the Palestinian struggle, and theodicy--how we can make sense of God's presence in the midst of immense suffering. Matthew Vega is a PhD Candidate at the Uni...

In this episode, Abeer and Jen have a conversation with Shadia Qubti, a Palestinian Christian scholar and activist. In the conversation, Shadia shares about her experience being Palestinian with Israeli citizenship and the challenges and barriers that Palestinian women often face. We also discuss the Western church’s role in peacebuilding, practices for decolonizing solidarity, and the idea of see...

In this episode, Daniel has a poignant conversation with pastor Jason Miller, founder and lead pastor of South Bend City Church. The conversation reflects on the American church's responsibility towards what's happening in Palestine-Israel, and considers some better ways for us to move forward. Pastor Jason Miller is an advocate for artists and peacemakers, his work beyond South Bend focuses on cu...

Considering the dark season of pain and lament that Palestinian Christians are going through during Christmas this year, we decided to release this bonus episode that features a sermon by Palestinian pastor Munther Isaac titled "Christ in the Rubble." The sermon was delivered during a special Christmas service called "Christ in the Rubble: A liturgy of Lament" that was held on December 23rd of thi...

In this episode, co-hosts Abeer and Daniel welcome Rabbi Alissa Wise, an active community organizer for justice and a Lead Organizer of Rabbis for Ceasefire.  Rabbi Wise offers a compelling look into her journey, revealing the intricate layers of her identity as a Jewish rabbi. She eloquently unpacks the subtleties of progressive Jewish advocacy, shedding light on the often-overlooked impact of Ch...

This unique episode includes recordings from a special session on Palestinian Christianity at the American Academy of Religion (AAR) 2023 Annual Meeting. This session was organized by the Middle Eastern Christianity Unit to discuss the open letter that was written by four Palestinian theologians to the church in the West: Anton Deik, Rev. Munther Isaac, Daniel Bannoura, and Yousef Alkhouri. Speake...