10. Why is Christian Lament for Gaza Essential? Lamma Mansour

Across the Divide

In this episode, Jen has a conversation with Palestinian Christian scholar Lamma Mansour. This episode delves into the practice of lament--exploring the importance of lament in the Church, how we can lament the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and why it is often difficult for the Western Church to lament. Lamma also shares about her experience as a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship and about her research on the discrimination Palestinian Arabs face in Israeli higher education.

Lamma Mansour is a Palestinian Christian from Nazareth. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford. Her doctoral research focuses on the experiences of Arab Palestinian undergraduate students in Israeli higher education. Lamma has also been involved in research projects focusing on other groups within Palestinian Arab society in Israel (e.g., young women, and social workers).

Show Notes:

• “Stop! Make space for lament,” Lamma Mansour (Come and See article, 2021)

• “Being our neighbour’s keeper by lamenting injustice: a Palestinian Christian reflection,” Lamma Mansour (Christ at the Checkpoint lecture, 2022)

• “A prayer of lament and hope,” Lamma Mansour (Recorded Devotional, 2023)

• “Palestinian Arab undergraduate students’ transition to Israeli higher education: a mixed methods study, Lamma Mansour” (journal article, 2024)

• Haaretz article on Palestinian singer, Dalal Abu Amneh (2024)