The Shaping of Christian Palestinian Identities. Churches, Space, and Nation

Far from the rumors predicting the end of the Christians in the Holy Land, this article is an invitation for a trip in the core of the Palestinian Christendom, numerically insignificant but of a great vitality. Founded on fieldwork, it seeks to demonstrate the dynamics of shaping confessional identities throughout history & their articulation with national identities. It sheds light on the founding role of the Holy sites & the rituals performed there on one hand, the role of the Churches as spiritual, administrative, educational & social authorities on the other, in this process which swings between the mobilization of particular confessional belonging & the assertion of a common Christian belonging. The Palestinian nationalism proves to be a determining factor in the transcending of the age-old conflicts between the Churches & to furthering their unity in a context of political instability & territorial fragmentation. Adapted from the source document.