Rula Mansour has a vision for peace. From a young age she grew up in a mixed community with both Palestinian and Israeli-Jewish friends and neighbours. It was when she went to university that she realised she felt called to a work of reconciliation.
Move forward a few years and Rula can now be found developing a Peace Department at Nazareth Evangelical College, in Nazareth the hometown of the Prince of peace. Besides teaching, she has written a number of articles for a local Christian website, with viewers from all around the Arabic-speaking world. These articles have addressed issues related to Christian social engagement such as being messengers of peace amidst the Coronavirus crisis, acting justly and lovingly in dealing with conflict and the role of the church in dealing with shame.
Reaching out
During the last semester at NEC Rula was able to lead a course for the PhD Peace program at the International Graduate School of Leadership in the Philippines.
Rula writes “The course was on the Biblical Theology of Peace and taught via Zoom. I believe that for those interested in the Christian roots of peacemaking, it is crucial that they grasp a theologically holistic biblical theology for living lives of righteousness, justice, and peace, especially in the midst of a world too often wracked by violence and injustice.“
“act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God” [Micah 6:8]
This text has served as a motto for Rula and has guided her, whether it be completing her own PhD, teaching a course, writing articles, leading workshops or writing books.
In January she was excited to see her new book published by Langham. Theology of Reconciliation in the Context of Church Relations: A Palestinian Christian Perspective in Dialogue with Miroslav Volf.
The book examines the cultural and theological implications of intra-church conflict in Arab evangelical communities in Israel. Translating Miroslav Volf’s formative theology of reconciliation into the contemporary Palestinian context, Rula provides a critical evaluation of both Volf’s theory and Palestinian peacemaking models.
“Through my research and analysis, I develop a Middle Eastern theology of reconciliation with the hope that it encourages congregations around the world to develop greater cultural and theological awareness in their quest to experience lasting peace within their churches and wider communities.”
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Rula Khoury Mansour is a Palestinian evangelical lawyer and theologian. She holds a PhD in Peace Studies and Theology from the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, UK, which was completed under the supervision of Prof. Miroslav Volf. She serves as the Director of Peace Studies at Nazareth Evangelical College, Israel, as well as a lecturer in the PhD Peace program at the International Graduate School of Leadership, Quezon City, Philippines.
Rula is a speaker locally and internationally, she lectures and consults churches and institutions on issues related to conflict and reconciliation. In addition, she has published a number of academic articles about forgiveness and the role of the church in peacemaking. She worked as a public prosecutor for 13 years and was the first Palestinian to be appointed deputy head of a public prosecution office in Israel. Rula and her husband, Bader, live in Nazareth with their three sons, Adi, Rami and Sami.