Berkley Center

In this paper Fr. Drew Christiansen, S.J., sketches a biblical theological argument for the official Catholic position on religious warrants attached to claims for "the Land" (Israel/Palestine). He makes the case that post-Exilic Judaism and the New Testament provide backing for a non-exclusivist, universalist understanding of “the Land.” He then traces the groundwork for a theological understanding of the Vatican’s diplomatic approach to today’s State of Israel rooted in universal human rights. Christiansen presented this paper as part of a panel at a September 12, 2018 forum on Palestinian Christians at Georgetown University’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding.