States of ExileVisions of Diaspora, Witness, and Return Polyglossia: Radical Reformation Theologies Series, Vol. 3 by Alain Epp Weaver |
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States of Exile offers a political theology of exile which envisions diaspora and return as both integral dimensions of the church's witness for the shalom of the city. Unlike conventional views, Alain Epp Weaver insists that diaspora and return need not stand in irreducible opposition. He explores these understandings in critical conversations with John Howard Yoder, Edward Said, Karl Barth, and Daniel Boyarin. His views also represent reflection on over a decade of living and working among Palestinian refugees.
Epp Weaver envisions the Christian church as a community in exile which must learn to be theologically "not in charge." The church in exile, he argues, must cultivate a receptiveness to the inbreaking of God's Spirit from beyond its walls.
"In this important work, Alain Epp Weaver asks whether exile and return must be in binary opposition to one another or can be in communion with each other. The author knits together the narratives of exile and return with the stories of Israelis and Palestinians and asks how acts of mourning and memory can be signs pointing to a future of justice, peace, and reconciliation in this divided land."
- Naim Ateek, Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center
"Alain Epp Weaver interweaves on the ground of Middle East experience with astute theological and political analysis. He shows both Christians and Jews how diaspora and exile can be transformed into a witness befitting their respective religious traditions, and strong enough to neutralize the manifold ways partisans of each distort those same traditions. A demanding yet liberating read for all!" - David Burrell, C.S.C., University of Notre Dame
About the Author
Alain Epp Weaver served for eleven years with Mennonite Central Committee in the Middle East, including as an English teacher in the northern West Bank village of Zababdeh; as development coordinator for the Gaza Strip; as program administrator in Jersualem; and, most recently, as representative for Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq.
The author of numerous articles in academic journals, Epp Weaver has also published many essays in church publications and other popular periodicals. He has edited several books, including Under Vine and Fig Tree: Biblical Theologies of Land and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict (2007). He co-edited Borders and Bridges: Mennonite Witness in a Religously Diverse World (2007) with Peter Dula, and The Work of Jesus Christ in Anabaptist Perspective (2008) with Gerald Mast.