Seeking God in Gaza
The Cross and the Olive Tree: Cultivating Palestinian Theology Amid Gaza is the book currently being studied by those attending the Belfast Jesuit Centre’s Zoom book club, this January/February 2026. The book is a compilation of seven essays by eight Christian Palestinian theologians, edited by John S. Munayer and Samuel S. Munayer and published by Orbis Books ».
As noted on the book cover, The Cross and the Olive Tree traverses “the lived theology of grandmothers to traditions of scholarship, from ancient liturgies to contemporary resistance.” As the eight theologians seek to present “a crucial and vibrant perspective on liberation, reconciliations, and divine imagination,” the cross and the olive tree are their symbols of “unwavering hope… faith and homeland.”
Participants discuss the book over seven weeks, corresponding to its seven chapters, with the first meeting on Wednesday, 14 January. That night served as a general introduction to the work with Gerry Clarke SJ, Director of the Belfast Jesuit Centre, acknowledging that this was a difficult discussion to face into. “We approach the articles in The Cross and the Olive Tree with a lively respect,” he said, adding, “They have been written by Christians seeking to find God in what they describe as a ‘time of genocide.’ As the first articulators of Palestinian Liberation Theology, Naim Ateek and Cedar Duaybis say in their foreword to the book, the experience of the first Nakba ‘almost shattered their belief in God.'”
Gerry Clarke also referenced Father Sosa, Superior General of the Jesuits worldwide, who, after his November 2025 visit to the Holy Land, appealed for more Jesuits to work in the Middle East. He also noted that Pope Leo, Pope Francis and Pope Benedict “all missioned us to the edges of the Church. Each told us that where the Church most needs the Society of Jesus is at the frontiers. The mission in the Holy Land is a frontier. This frontier needs Jesuits who are willing to learn the languages and cultures of the people so that we may fulfill our mission of reconciliation and justice.”
Well-known community activist and Presbyterian minister Rev Dr Bill Shaw », formerly of the 174 Trust, Duncairn Centre, Belfast, opened the discussion on the first chapter of the book on Wednesday, 21 January. He guided Zoom participants through the main insights articulated in the chapter entitled ‘Teita’s Faith’, which focuses on the faith of Palestinian Christians in Gaza as seen through the eyes of grandmothers. Bill also shared rich insights from his own experience visiting Gaza and the people he met there. After his input, participants went into breakout rooms to discuss their reflections on the chapter and Bill’s sharing.
The second chapter of The Cross and the Olive Tree was discussed on Wednesday, 28 January. Donegal woman Anne McGowan gave a presentation on the chapter, which drew parallels with the systemic and brutal violence visited on the Mayan community in Guatemala and the genocide visited on the Palestinian people in Gaza. The vexed question of ‘where is God?’ in the midst of such suffering and abandonment was the thread running through both the chapter and Anne’s reflection.
The third chapter on The Cross and the Olive Tree will be discussed by the book club members on Wednesday, 4 February, following a presentation by journalist and author Dr Jude Collins. If you are interested in attending this or any subsequent meetings, email Gerry Clarke SJ at [email protected] or click here for further information ».
