Mitri Raheb talks about Liberation Theology

Pastor Lauds Liberation Theology by Bashing Atonement

on July 5, 2017

The Middle East has always been an excellent place to examine the explosive relationship of competing political interests and religious identities. Specifically, it makes an excellent case study in examining how competing convictions influence or interfere with one’s interpretation of Scripture.

On April 21, 2017, Pastor Mitri Raheb, the Palestinian Senior Pastor of a Lutheran church in Bethlehem, spoke at St. Olaf College on the relationship between religion and politics in the Middle East. His comments indicate the growing danger of letting identity politics (manifest under the guise of liberation theology) determine one’s interpretation of Scripture.

During his talk, Raheb primarily focused on interpreting recent Israeli/Palestinian events and Bible passages through the Liberation Theology point of view. Liberation theology misconstrues Scripture and the surrounding world by emphasizing the pursuit of political ends and means to achieve complete social equity.

Contextualizing his lecture, Pastor Raheb began by comparing the Jewish government to Saddam Hussein’s authoritarian dictatorship in Iraq. He accused Israel of using religious texts to secure domestic sovereignty and feign legitimacy in the international community. He then proceeded to label fellow Christians as “Zionists” who were “sent” by the Jews to defend their state under the pretext of horrifically misguided eschatology while they callously ignore the plight of the Palestinian people.

Turning then to Scripture, Raheb offered his own interpretation of Jesus’ death on the cross (emphasis added):

“We have for too long tried to spiritualize the notion of liberation in the Bible. We’ve replaced liberation with salvation and the cross became nothing but atonement. I think we have to put the cross in its original context of political and religious violence…. The cross is a permanent reminder of the millions of people who are persecuted either by the state or by the religious establishment because they raise their prophetic critique to an unjust ruler or to a corrupt form of religion.”

It’s not often that a self-proclaimed Christian uses the phrase “nothing but atonement” with a pejorative connotation. Atonement by Jesus Christ was the single greatest act of self-sacrificial love the world has ever known. It satisfied around four thousand years of prophecy and a covenant made by the living infinite God who chose to make Himself known to a fallen, finite creation. Thinkers, writers, and philosophers alike have pontificated on atonement for hundreds of years. Jesus died a humiliating, excruciating death on the cross at the hands of both Jewish and Roman people because that was how it was prophesied in the Old Testament (e.g., Psalm 22:16-18, Isaiah 53).

Paul was very clear in Romans 6:3-7 when he stated that the cross was meant to liberate God’s people from the tyranny of sin and death. Or again in Romans 8:3, “By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,” implying that the cross was the ultimate defeat of eternal slavery to sin.

Raheb concluded his defense of liberation theology by interpreting the Pentecost story in Acts 2 as a celebration of diversity because the disciples were able to speak in visitors’ native tongues. A simple glance over this passage shows that this assertion is simply not true. The disciples were given the ability to speak in many different languages (in the first case of multilingual evangelism) to the Jews who had not yet heard the good news. The Jewish people with their different languages and nationalities were united under their common ethnic and religious background. There is no normative indication anywhere in the passage that would indicate that “diversity is strength,” as Rahab argues.

I agree with Mitri Raheb’s approach to observe modern conflict in a political and religious light. One cannot and should not separate the two for fear of oversimplifying, misunderstanding, and misdiagnosing one of the longest running conflicts in human history. But Mr. Raheb’s identity politics and liberation theology have done just that.

Raheb wove an implicit line of logic throughout the whole lecture: because modern Jewish people are not the ancient Israelites of the Bible, they have no “spiritual” claim over contested Palestinian land. And since ancient Israel’s only purpose was to prepare for the Messiah, there is no need for a Jewish state anymore. Any argument to preserve a physical Jewish state would, therefore, be a Zionist misinterpretation of prophecy and an act of oppression to the Palestinian people.

Pastor Raheb has allowed his political identity as a Palestinian to precede and outweigh his identity as a Christian. This became evident in how he blatantly ignores huge portions of Scripture and facts to support his case for liberation theology.

I will not waste the readers’ time in recounting the “New Zionist” position, but rather direct them to a better defense of it than I could provide in this limited space (or a fascinating read if they so desire). Without dissecting the details, Israel, and more importantly, the Jewish people remain an integral part of God’s redeeming plan for the world, but without implying that the Lord is waiting on us to immanentize the eschaton.

Several facts stand in defiance of Pastor Raheb’s assertions. First, geneticists have revealed evidence that modern Jewish people are in fact descendants of the ancient Israelites of the Bible. Distinct Jewish people groups from all over the world share genetic legacy (not just cultural or religious identity) originating in the Middle East dating back 2,000 years.

And if one believes in the inerrancy and timelessness of Scripture, it would be hard to ignore the numerous passages that indicate that the second coming of Christ will involve a unified Jewish state (Zech. 12:5-9, Luke 13:34-35, and Romans 9 & 11 to name a few).

It is only through God’s outpouring and overflowing of grace onto the Jewish people that Gentiles are also given grace by extension (Romans 1:16). The same grace available to the Jews is available to the Palestinians. Yet Pastor Raheb seems to be so caught up in idolizing his own primary identity as a Palestinian that his view and reception of grace have been warped.

That is the greatest danger of identity politics. Though identities are personally meaningful and powerful in shaping worldviews, they are immaterial in the eternal light of salvation. Liberation theology, specifically, seeks to undermine salvation and spiritual needs by replacing them with material needs and social vendetta.

The relationship between religion and politics is a tangled one. It is often hard to define where one stops and the other starts (or whether the two ought to be mixed at all). But what is undeniable is that if you’re going to claim Christianity as your religion, it must be your first and most important identity. Any party identity, political belief, or doctrinal interpretation must always be filtered through the ultimate and omniscient authority found in the Holy Bible. There will never be a characteristic that can outshine the salvation bestowed by grace alone.

  1. Comment by Palamas on July 6, 2017 at 10:08 am

    Repeating anti-Semitic canards like “modern Jews aren’t descended from ancient Israelites” unmasks Raheb for what he is: a false prophet leading his people down a condemned path.

  2. Comment by Richard Bell on July 7, 2017 at 9:19 pm

    As a matter of empirical fact, every person with an ancestor who lived 200 years ago in the area between the Atlantic Ocean and Mongolia and between the Arctic Ocean and the equator, has, almost certainly, descended from ancient Israelites.
    It is wrong to deny that Jews are descended from ancient Israelites, but it is equally wrong to assert that Jews are unusual in that respect.

  3. Comment by Mary Lazor on July 7, 2017 at 3:12 pm

    The pastor is first a Palestinian, second a liberal Lutheran, and lastly a follower of Christ. In the US, this kind of attitude explains the shrinking ELCA.

  4. Comment by Richard Bell on July 7, 2017 at 9:22 pm

    “The pastor is first a Palestinian, second a liberal Lutheran, and lastly a follower of Christ.”
    Has Raheb professed this, or is it merely a defamatory allegation of Lazor?

  5. Comment by js1979@usa.com on July 10, 2017 at 6:48 am

    Ahh binary logic to discredit the person rather than the statement. This would be considered a deduction by Lazor based on the comments of Raheb. The deduction may be wrong but dismissing it as an allegation does not answer it. That a statement is defamatory I find not objectionable as many need to be dropped a peg. I am confused by the notion that the ELCA is palestinian.

  6. Comment by Richard Bell on July 7, 2017 at 9:12 pm

    IRD continues to slander Mitri Raheb by misrepresenting his ideas. Now it has done so in a way that should be obvious to all. Raheb did not deny that Christ’s atonement was the greatest act of self-sacrificial love the world has ever known. Raheb said that the Crucifixion has not only that significance. He said that the Crucifixion has some additional importance: “The cross is a permanent reminder of the millions of people who are persecuted either by the state or by the religious establishment because they raise their prophetic critique to an unjust ruler or to a corrupt form of religion.” Raheb may be mistaken; millions of persecuted Christians may think of the Crucifixion but not be reminded that Jesus too stood against political or religious oppressors and suffered at their hands. If IRD knows that Raheb is mistaken about those persecuted Christians, it would be fair to correct him. IRD is unfair in falsely imputing bad ideas to Raheb.
    Why does IRD continue to treat Raheb this way? I suspect it is because Raheb is a powerful prophetic voice against IRD’s political creed, which leads IRD far beyond supporting the existence of the state of Israel as a special homeland of Jewish people. (NB: Raheb and I too support the existence of the state of Israel as a special homeland of Jewish people.)
    Both Raheb and IRD deny that this is just a matter of politics. They think it is also an issue of theology:
    “Raheb wove an implicit line of logic throughout the whole lecture: because modern Jewish people are not the ancient Israelites of the Bible, they have no ‘spiritual’ claim over contested Palestinian land. And since ancient Israel’s only purpose was to prepare for the Messiah, there is no need for a Jewish state anymore. Any argument to preserve a physical Jewish state would, therefore, be a Zionist misinterpretation of prophecy and an act of oppression to the Palestinian people.”
    On this issue, Raheb’s implicit line of logic is impeccable and God’s plan revealed in the Bible is clear enough. I join the author of this piece in recommending the recent writings of Gerald McDermott, which attempt to support the Zionist misinterpretation of prophecy. Any reader with an open mind will find in McDermott an example of the narrow, literalistic, incoherent interpretation of the Bible characteristic of Christian Zionism or New Zionism, and that open-minded reader is likely to agree with Raheb that Zionists are wrong.

  7. Comment by George Brown on July 7, 2017 at 11:20 pm

    Agreement with Raheb or Bell would require ignoring or rejecting far more scripture than I am willing to ignore or reject. I do find it quite easy, however, to ignore or reject Raheb’s and Bell’s points of view. Both are far too much at odds with both scripture and history and easily recognizable as a thin “christian” veneer over the age old hatred of Jews and Israel.

  8. Comment by Richard Bell on July 11, 2017 at 1:54 am

    I deny that I hate Jews and Israel and there is not a hint of hatred in anything I said. What you call “easily recognizable” is just a smear of your own making. It is appalling that one who is ostensibly Christian would speak of Christians as you speak of Raheb and me. Come, Lord Jesus, and let us have your righteous judgments!
    On the other hand, I affirm that I love not only the Jews but also the word of God. Maybe you do too. Far from being at odds with scripture, my point of view on the status of the contemporary state of Israel is respectfully consistent with it. I could write at length on this, because the scriptural evidence in favor of Raheb’s and Bell’s points of view is abundant. But let me get you started understanding both scripture and history with a simple but essential truth. God did not promise any blessing, much less the Holy Land, to unbelievers, and the only thing Jews have in common (as they like to say) is that they deny Jesus is the Messiah. God’s promises were to believers only. Pray for illumination, then reread and think about Romans 4:9-15 and 9:6-8.

  9. Comment by Ron Husmann on September 16, 2017 at 2:02 pm

    As Savannah’s grandfather I am astounded ( and indeed gratified) by her mature understanding of Scripture, and her ability to communicate not only the Scripture but also her faith ,and on such an erudite level.

    What else could an elderly grandfather want as he joyously faces eternity, but to know that his progeny has remained so solidly in the faith!

    I would like to comment with some verses of an old Lutheran Hymn that speak of our children and then their children :

    Oh bless the parents who give heed
    Unto their children’s foremost need
    And weary not of care or cost!
    May none to them and heav’n be lost

    Blest such a house, it prospers well,
    In peace and joy the parents dwell,
    And in their children’s lot is shown
    How richly God can bless His own.

    Then here will I and mine today
    A solemn covenant make and say:
    Though all the world forsake Thy Word
    I and my house will serve the Lord.

  10. Comment by Ronald Husmann on September 16, 2017 at 2:15 pm

    As Savannah’s grandfather I am astounded ( and indeed gratified) by her mature understanding of Scripture, and her ability to communicate not only the Scripture but also her faith ,and on such an erudite level.

    What else could an elderly grandfather want as he joyously faces eternity, but to know that his progeny has remained so solidly in the faith!

    I would like to comment with some verses of an old Lutheran Hymn that speak of our children and then their children :

    Oh bless the parents who give heed
    Unto their children’s foremost need
    And weary not of care or cost!
    May none to them and heav’n be lost

    Blest such a house, it prospers well,
    In peace and joy the parents dwell,
    And in their children’s lot is shown
    How richly God can bless His own.

    Then here will I and mine today
    A solemn covenant make and say:
    Though all the world forsake Thy Word
    I and my house will serve the Lord.

  11. Comment by Bones on November 4, 2017 at 5:33 am

    What an appalling article which denies and belittles the reality of Christians living in Palestine.

    My friend is a Christian minister in Ramallah who was forced out of his home by gunpoint by the IDF and his house bulldozed and land given to settlers.

    You’ve proven the pastors point by focusing on ‘spirituality’ over injusice.

  12. Comment by Jonathan on December 9, 2021 at 1:15 pm

    I’m glad I read a bit of this article. The title is complete slander and unfitting for Christian discussion. I was ready to get angry at Raheb but then I heard his statement on the topic which was so benign and obvious and a call to Scripture that any conservative, Scripture oriented Christian could embrace. There are lot’s of things I find problematic in Raheb, so I came biased against him and expecting to hear actual “bashing” of the atonement, but instead I found I should be careful of the misrepresentations and false witness born by this site. I imagine it wasn’t “intentional” since the “evidence” leveled was so contrary to the claim, it seems the author herself is convinced of the soundness of the accusation.
    If I say “justificstion is not the only thing that happens on the cross” is that bashing justification? Of course not! Its defending the Biblical witness to the multifaceted splendor of what God in Christ did on the cross against reductionistic ideas that decenter the Bible. Yes, Mitri also has problematic ideas from a more conservative point of view that I hold to (and I’m sure have very problemativ ideas too, if only I could always be aware of them!)
    Savannah, if you ever happen back on this, please recognize that the title of this article is slander whether intended or not.
    I agree with you that Mitri has problems im his theology stemming from a liberal hermeneutical approach to the Scriptures, but his statement on the atonement is actually defending the truth of God’s word.
    Apart from that, your mischaracterization of liberation theology is also false witness. How would you feel if someone said that “Western Christian theology misconstrues Scripture to endorse white supremacy throughout the world.”
    On the one hand, historically it is true that Western theology has been both used for that aim AND shaped by that aim. This can be traced in primary sources without too much difficulty.
    But that doesnt cover the views or aims of all Western Christians. Neither is Liberation Theology a homogenous idea with a shared “misconstrual of Scripture” across all varieties. This is again false witness. The most important thing you point put that “competing convictions influence or interfere with one’s interpretation of Scripture.” The first step is to examine the plank in our (I think you would identify theologically conservative, as do I) own eye. Why do we push so hard against the enacted compassion and yes, liberation, of the wounded and oppressed in the world? What in our own competing convictions makes us react so viscerally to simple truths, like that specific models of atonement do not fully explain the cross and the gospel? What are we trying to protect by so thoroughly “spiritualizing” Jesus’ ministry? History answers these questions pretty well and challenges us to Reform again and abandon many competing convictions instead of throwing misguided stones.

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