Unlearning ‘Landlord Theology’: Excavating Alternative Jewish Traditions and Histories in Palestine/Israel to Imagine the Future Otherwise

Atalia Omer’s lecture will examine motifs that emerged from in-depth interviews with Jewish Israeli religious “unlearners,” who question from within the sources of Jewish history and traditions, including how Jewish history and biblical warrants are invoked in support of violent goals. Unlike secular activists, their solidarity actions are also driven by an urgency to reclaim the Jewish tradition from what they see as its misinterpretations, reflected in the mainstreaming of messianic and chauvinistic theologies of ethno-religious political sovereignty. The work of these “unlearners” will be framed in the context of prior sociological research on religion and peacebuilding beyond Palestine/Israel.