Introduction

This chapter deals with the relationship of Christians and Christian theology to the various conflicts in the Middle East, a topic that is often sensationalised but still insufficiently understood. Political developments over the last two decades, however, have prompted observers to rediscover and examine the central role religious motivations play in shaping public discourses. Western governments, in states generally labelled 'Christian', have sought to downplay the extent to which there is an inevitable conflict between East and West, between Islam and Christianity. Christian Zionism, however, resonates very poorly with Arab Christians living in the modern Middle East, who interpret conflict largely as a present reality rather than an eschatological sign. The theological problem of conflict is presented by Arab Christians as a problem of social justice, peace and the temporal struggle of Christians who live as a minority among majority Muslim communities.