Pilgrimage With A Mission
Last year, Gied ten Berge received his PhD on Pilgrimages with a Mission. The Palestinian 'Come and See' Initiative from a social-cultural and historical-theological perspective. The 2009 'Come and See' initiative by Christian Palestinians was a call to make pilgrimages to the Holy Land more than a traditional visit to holy sites and to do so for the sake of 'peace, love and reconciliation'.
It is one of the initiatives that fit the trend of 'responsible tourism' and an example of a renewal and of pilgrimage in this day and age, also referred to as 'justice pilgrimage'.
The seminar Pilgrimage with a Mission addresses a type of pilgrimage that seeks to be more than tourism to holy places, and invites visitors to become ‘pilgrims of peace and justice’. Speakers will highlight important and interesting points of interest and critique to strengthen responsible tourism and the renewing of the cultural, spiritual and theological significance of pilgrimage.
The occasion for the symposium is the publication of the English translation in March of this year. The language of communication will be English. Questions can be asked in Dutch.
Program
14:50 During the login, Nizar Rohana plays the ūd.
15:00 Welcome by dr. Arnold Smeets (Luce, Tilburg).
Introduction to the theme: dr. Gied ten Berge (Maarssen).
15:10 Rev. dr. Munther Isaac (Bethlehem).
15:25 Leora Alcheck (Montreal).
15:40 Short break. Nizar Rohana (Utrecht) plays the ūd.
15:45 Spoken column: Shatha Bannoura (Beit Sahour).
15:55 Dr. Rami Isaac (Breda).
16:10 Dr. Toine van Teeffelen (Bethlehem)
16:25 Questions and discussion led by dr. Arnold Smeets.
16:45 Closing remarks and thanks dr. Gied ten Berge.
Practical
The seminar is English spoken. Participation is free of charge. Registration is required via www.tiu.nu/Pilgrimage. A few hours before the meeting starts, participants will receive a zoom link for the meeting.
About the speakers
Leora Alcheck is a student of religious studies at McGill University in Montreal where she stood out with a paper entitled "Between Augustine and Religious Zionism: De Civitate Dei and Ethical Negotiations for the Present." She argues for both a new Jewish and a new Christian "pilgrim ethic" regarding travel to the Land.
Shatha Bannoura MA completed her master's degree in International Relations in Italy and studied at Bethlehem University. She is a licensed community trekking tour guide. She is part of Kairos Palestine youth group. In addition, she is involved in Sabeel, ecumenical liberation theology center, and a member of its general assembly.
Dr. Gied ten Berge is a sociologist and theologian. He worked as a professional in the church peace movements Interkerkelijk Vredesberaad and Pax Christi Netherlands. He is co-founder of Kairos Palestine Netherlands. In 2020 he defended his dissertation.
Dr. Rami Isaac of Breda University of Applied Sciences, has several publications to his name on critical theory, and political aspects of tourism, among other topics. He has published numerous articles and book chapters on tourism and political (in)stability, occupation, tourism and war, 'dark tourism' and 'transformational tourism'.
Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac was born in Beit Sahour, Palestine. Munther Isaac is an ordained minister of the Lutheran Church and serves as an Assistant Pastor at Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church Bethlehem. Het did his PhD study about the Biblical Theology of the Promised Land, in Oxford UK. He is Academic Dean at Bible Bethlehem College and director of the ‘Christ at the Checkpoint Conference’.
Dr. Toine van Teeffelen lives and works in Bethlehem, he is well known for his various publications on the conflict in the Land, also as a social anthropologist, as a connoisseur of the arena of pilgrims, guide of pilgrims and tourists and as a peace activist.
Order the book or read it digitally
Pilgrimage with a mission. The Palestinian 'Come and see initiative' from a social-cultural and historical-theological perspective (Pax Christi International & Pax Christi Nederland, publishers, and Kairos Palestine, ATG, Sabeel Jerusalem and the Arab Educational Institute, co-publishers, Utrecht 2021). This publication has been reserved with priority for theological and tourism schools, etc. To be requested (shipping costs only): vredesbeweger@gmail.com Digital Access: https://research.tilburguniversity.edu/files/48324246/148181_Gied_Ten_Berge_PDF.pdf.