Sacred Space in Israel and Palestine: Religion and Politics

ISBN-13: 9781138110540 / Angielski / Miękka / 2017 / 340 str.

Opis

Religion and religious nationalism have long played a central role in many ethnic and national conflicts, and the importance of religion to national identity means that territorial disputes can often focus on the contestation of holy places and sacred territory. Looking at the case of Israel and Palestine, this book highlights the nexus between religion and politics through the process of classifying holy places, giving them meaning and interpreting their standing in religious and civil law, within governmental policy, and within international and local communities.

Written by a team of renowned scholars from within and outside the region, this book follows on from Holy Places in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Confrontation and Co-existence to provide an insightful look into the politics of religion and space. Examining Jerusalem’s holy basin from a variety of perspectives and disciplines, it provides unique insights into the way Jewish, Christian and Muslim authorities, scholars and jurists regard sacred space and the processes, grass roots and official, by which spaces become holy in the eyes of particular communities. Filling an important gap in the literature on Middle East peacemaking, the book will be of interest to scholars and students of the Middle East conflict, conflict resolution, political science, urban studies and history of religion.

Spis treści

Introduction  Part 1: Designating and Grading Holy Places  1. "How Awesome is this Place": Holy Places in Jewish Law  2. Holy Places and Sacred Spaces: Canonical Issues  3. The Protection of Heritage and Holy Sites in International Law: A Palestinian Perspective  4. From Unknown Saint to State Site: The Jewish Dimension in the Sanctification Process of Tombs in the State of Israel  5. The Renewal of the Pilgrimage to Nabi Musa  6. The Zamzam Well Ritual in Islam and its Jerusalem Connection  Part 2: Interpreting Religious Law in Light of Political Needs  7. The Place of Religious Aspirations for Sovreignty over the Temple Mount in Religious-Zionist Rulings  8. The Battle for the Muslim Cemeteries in Israel  Part 3: The Role of Religious Leaders in Addressing Issues Pertaining to Holy Sites  9. Nationalising and Denationalising the Sacred: Shrines and Shifting Identities in the Israeli-Occupied Territories  10. Political Holiness: Negotiating Holy Places in Eretz Israel/Palestine, 1937-2003  11. Search for Common Ground: The Importance of Interfaith Cooperation for the Protection of Jerusalem’s Holy Sites  12. Christian Palestinian Communities in Israel: Tensions between Laity, Clergy, and State