Across the Divide Podcast

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.comKelley’s new book is Jubilee Economics: The Purpose, Practices and Possibilities for a Better FutureBecome a monthly supporter of Across the Divide on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide Follow Across the Divide for more on ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePodcast‬⁠⁠⁠Across 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

Mindy Summers joins Abeer to share about journey of advocacy and peacemaking. Together, they explore how digital platforms can elevate marginalized voices, challenge harmful theologies, and spark deep personal transformation, especially around Israel-Palestine, immigration, and gender justice. Mindy Summers is an advocate and peacemaker. She uses social media as an advocacy platform to share about Palestine, immigration, refugees, women empowerment, anti-trafficking, racism, church abuse, patriarchy, & systemic injustice. Mindy resides in Missouri with her husband & four children and aims to help her neighbors see the hand of God at work in the margins of our societies.Become a monthly supporter of Across the Divide on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide Follow Across the Divide for more on ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePodcast‬⁠⁠⁠Across 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.

Author and historian Jemar Tisby joins us to discuss the connections that blacks, and especially black Christians, have with the Palestinian struggle for justice and liberation. Jemar explains how the concept of “God of the Oppressed” provides a powerful framework to shape Christian advocacy for both blacks and Palestinians.Become a monthly supporter of Across the Divide on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide Follow Across the Divide for more on ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePodcast‬⁠⁠⁠Across 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 #liberation #justice

Rev. Joash Thomas joins us for a conversation on justice and its relationship to the church. Joash provides helpful insight about the hesitancy of many Christians to think biblically about the justice, and offers some practical steps for individuals and church communities to prioritize justice in their lives and ministries. Much of the conversation is based on Joash’s recent book “The Justice of Jesus.Born and raised in India, Joash served as a U.S. political consultant and lobbyist before pivoting to global human rights advocacy. Now based in the Toronto area, he holds a master’s degree in Political Management from The George Washington University and holds two master’s degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary in Christian Leadership and Theology. Through speaking engagements, teaching, and advocacy, Joash calls Christians to a more contemplative yet courageous activism, motivated by the grace-filled, non-violent way of Jesus. For me, see https://www.joashpthomas.com/aboutBecome a monthly supporter of Across the Divide on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide Follow Across the Divide for more on ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePodcast‬⁠⁠⁠Across 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.

This episode is a part of Across the Divide’s Monthly Book Club. Here Jen has a conversation with John Munayer and Samuel Munayer about their edited volume The Cross and the Olive Tree: Cultivating Palestinian Theology amid Gaza. They discussed how this book emerged as a communal Palestinian theological project and the unique approaches that the eight contributors took. John and Sam both reflect on the ways that doing Palestinian theology amid genocide in Gaza has impacted their faith, and they consider the profound invitation that this book extends to Palestinian and non-Palestinian Christians who are committed to justice work.We invite you to read The Cross and the Olive Tree along with the ATD community and consider joining our virtual Book Club conversation on the book for our Patreon supporters on Sunday, November 30, 2025. To learn more and become a Patreon supporter, visit https://www.patreon.com/c/AcrosstheDivide The Cross and the Olive Tree is edited by John Munayer and Samuel Munayer and includes contributions from Yousef AlKhouri, Marah Sarji, Azmera Hammouri-Davis, Lamma Mansour, Daniel Munayer, Shadia Qubti, John Munayer, and Samuel Munayer. You can purchase the book here through Orbis Books, and see our Patreon page for a limited-time discount code for purchases within the U.S.John Munayer is a Palestinian theologian from Jerusalem and holds degrees from King’s College London, the University of Edinburgh, and VU University Amsterdam. John is currently involved in interreligious activism and is the founder and editor of the Journal of Palestinian Christianity at the Bethlehem Bible College. He is a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh, researching the political theology of the Palestinian laity in relation to the Holy Fire ceremony. Samuel Munayer is a Palestinian theologian from Jerusalem and holds degrees from Durham University and Exeter University. Samuel works as an advocacy and access officer for a humanitarian organization that works in Gaza and the West Bank. He recently co-authored with John the article entitled, “Decolonising Palestinian Liberation Theology: New Methods, Sources, and Voices.”