Across the Divide Podcast

In this episode, Abeer is joined by Michael McDougle to discuss what it means to teach Palestine and questions of justice in contexts where these issues are often unfamiliar, and how insights from Palestinian Christians have shaped understandings of faith and peacemaking.

Michael McDougle ([email protected]) is an Assistant Professor of Intercultural Studies at LCC International University in Klaipeda, Lithuania. Originally from the United States, he has lived and worked in Russia, Ukraine, China, and Lithuania. He holds a PhD in Intercultural Studies (Columbia International University), an MA in TESOL (Biola University), and an MA in Theology and Culture with a concentration in Peace Studies (St. Stephen’s University). His research interests lie at the intersection of theology, peace studies, TESOL, and Culture. Michael is also a Peace Ambassador with Peace Catalyst International, where he serves on the Israel-Palestine Working Group.

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Across the Divide partners with Peace Catalyst International to amplify the pursuit of peace and explore the vital intersection of Christian faith and social justice in Palestine-Israel.

#israel #palestine #gaza #christianity #bible #faith #zionism

Ethicist and author Andrew DeCort joins Daniel to address the imperative responsibility of the Western church to respond to the calls of Palestinian Christians! Andrew explains how "neighbor-love" translates into a revolutionary political ethic that demands concrete policy changes.
Andrew DeCort is an ethicist and “dissident theologian” holding a PhD in religious and political ethics from the University of Chicago. He founded the Institute for Faith and Flourishing and the Neighbor-Love Movement. Andrew has taught at Wheaton College and the University of Bonn, and his writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, and Christianity Today. He is the author of four books, including his latest, Reviving the Golden Rule (2025). For more, visit https://andrew-decort.com/
Link to purchase Andrew’s latest work: https://www.amazon.com/Reviving-Golden-Rule-Ancient-Neighbor/dp/1514012766
Become a monthly supporter of Across the Divide on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide 
Follow Across the Divide for more on ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePodcast‬⁠⁠⁠
Across the Divide partners with Peace Catalyst International to amplify the pursuit of peace and explore the vital intersection of Christian faith and social justice in Palestine-Israel.
#palestine #gaza #christianity #bible #faith #zionism #love #neighbor

Renowned Palestinian theologian Rev. Mitri Raheb and theologian Graham McGeoch join us for a sobering conversation about the reality we live in “After Gaza”. We particularly reflect on their recent edited volume “Theology After Gaza” that analyzes how theology has been misused to justify oppression in Israel's war on Gaza, countering it with liberation theologies centered on justice and truth where Gaza serves as a crisis point for Western theology, Zionism, and modernity.
Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb is the Founder and President of Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem and widely recognized as the most prolific Palestinian theologian to date. A social entrepreneur and elected member of the Palestinian National Council, he previously served as the senior pastor of the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem from 1987 to 2017. Dr. Raheb has authored or edited 50 books, including Decolonizing Palestine and Faith in the Face of Empire, with his works translated into thirteen languages. His extensive contributions to theology, peace, and culture have garnered significant international recognition, including the Olof Palme Prize, the German Media Prize, and the Aachen Peace Award.
Rev. Graham McGeoch is a theologian, Church of Scotland minister, and scholar specializing in liberation theology, ecumenism, and World Christianity. He currently serves as the Mission Secretary for Discipleship and Dialogue at the Council for World Mission (CWM). Additionally, he is a professor of Theology and Religious Studies at the Faculdade Unida de Vitória (UNIDA) in Brazil and a research associate at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. His most recent major publication is Theology After Gaza: A Global Anthology (2025), which he co-edited with Palestinian theologian Mitri Raheb. His other recent works include World Christianity and Ecological Theologies (2024) and Teologia da Libertação na América Latina: novas sementes de inquietação (2024). 

Become a monthly supporter of Across the Divide on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide 
Follow Across the Divide for more on ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePodcast‬⁠⁠⁠
Across the Divide partners with Peace Catalyst International to amplify the pursuit of peace and explore the vital intersection of Christian faith and social justice in Palestine-Israel.
#israel #palestine #gaza #christianity #bible #faith #zionism

As we wrap up 2025, professor Nelson Kraybill joins Daniel for a conversation about all things apocalyptic. Kraybill , a scholar of the book of Revelation, discusses the End Times, the Rapture, and the various confusing terms and images found in Revelation.

J. Nelson Kraybill is a retired pastor in Elkhart, Indiana and president of Mennonite World Conference. He was director of the London Mennonite Centre in England (1991-1996) and president of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (1997-2009) in Indiana.  With a doctorate in New Testament from Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Virginia, he is author of several books, including Apocalypse and Allegiance: Worship, Politics, and Devotion in the Book of Revelation.

Apocalypse and Allegiance on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Allegiance-Politics-Devotion-Revelation-ebook/dp/B008DWUXPE?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Become a monthly supporter of Across the Divide on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide 

Follow Across the Divide for more on ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePodcast‬⁠⁠⁠

Across the Divide partners with Peace Catalyst International to amplify the pursuit of peace and explore the vital intersection of Christian faith and social justice in Palestine-Israel.

#israel #palestine #christianity #bible #revelation #endtimes #rapture

Jen has a conversation with Kelley Nikondeha about her book, The First Advent in Palestine: Reversals, Resistance, and the Ongoing Complexity of Hope. They discuss the context of Matthew and Luke’s Advent narratives, which included abusive rulers, systems of oppression, and economic hardship. Kelley shares about how these Advent stories invite Christians to hear “good news” for the poor and downtrodden and live out our faith in continuing generations of hope.
This episode is a part of Across the Divide’s Monthly Book Club. We invite you to read The First Advent in Palestine along with the ATD community and consider joining our virtual Book Club conversation on the book for our Patreon supporters on Sunday, January 4, 2026. To learn more and become a Patreon supporter, visit https://www.patreon.com/c/AcrosstheDivide 
You can purchase the book here, or find an e-book or audiobook version on your preferred platform.
Kelley Nikondeha is a writer, liberation theologian, and community development practitioner. She combines biblical texts and various cultural contexts to discover insights for embodied justice, community engagement, and living faith. She is the author of Defiant: What the Women of Exodus Teach Us about Freedom and Adopted: The Sacrament of Belonging in a Fractured World, and is known for highlighting Palestinian voices and rights. She travels between the southwest US and Burundi in East Africa. For more, visit kelleynikondeha.com
Kelley’s new book is Jubilee Economics: The Purpose, Practices and Possibilities for a Better Future

Become a monthly supporter of Across the Divide on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide 
Follow Across the Divide for more on ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePodcast‬⁠⁠⁠
Across the Divide partners with Peace Catalyst International to amplify the pursuit of peace and explore the vital intersection of Christian faith and social justice in Palestine-Israel.
#israel #palestine #christianity #bible #faith #advent #christmas #bookclub