“Singing Allah’s Song in a Foreign Land”: Palestinians and Christian Zionism in America

“In the face of Christian Zionism, Palestinian American Christians continue to sing the Lord’s song and proclaim the good news, trusting in that justice and truth will be transformative for the American church and religious life. ”

Team Members/Contributors

Tala AlRaheb Emory University Contact Me

About this dissertation fellowship

This study examines how Palestinian Americans interact with Christian Zionism at the intersection of American religion and politics. It proceeds from the premise that Christian Zionism influences the lives of Palestinians everywhere, on account of its religious and political implications. While scholarship has examined the influence of Christian Zionism on American politics, scholars have not explored Palestinian American reactions to Christian Zionism. To analyze the interaction between Palestinian American Christians and Christian Zionism successfully, this project requires an interdisciplinary approach of historical analysis and ethnographic interviews. The archival research is being conducted at University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center, Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies at North Carolina State University, and at Quaker Archives at Haverford College during fall of 2021 and spring of 2022. The ethnographic interviews focus on Washington, DC, and North Carolina and will take place during spring, summer, and fall of 2022. I will complete my dissertation in spring of 2023. Through using World Christianity theoretical approaches, this research centers Palestinian lives and narratives, both historically and in present day America. It highlights their agency in responding to Christian Zionism and examines how their response impacts the American church and American religious life.