In this episode of Touring the Holy Land, Jen has a conversation with Sara Williams about the power dynamics of narratives surrounding the Holy Land and the emergence of solidarity tourism among American Christians. Sara shares a shift she has observed in her research from traditional pilgrimage models to a focus on witnessing marginalized communities, emphasizing the call to come and see as a transformative experience. Sara and Jen also discuss how liberation theology informs solidarity tourism, and the complex identities and experiences of Palestinians that travelers can encounter. Their conversation explores the transformative potential of these tours, the ethical implications of participants' experiences, and the necessity of acknowledging the multifaceted narratives of marginalized communities.

In their extended conversation for our Patreon supporters, Jen and Sara discuss the transformative potential of “Come and See” tours and their invitation for travelers to engage in deeper reflexivity and genuine solidarity within Christian communities.

Sara A. Williams is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Fairfield University. Her scholarship examines possibilities for just relationships in contexts marked by asymmetries of power and privilege. Her research on this topic has spanned progressive American Christian Holy Land tourism and gentrifying post-industrial U.S. urban communities. Dr. Williams holds a PhD from Emory University, an MA in Religion from Yale Divinity School, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Georgia.

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Across the Divide partners with Peace Catalyst International to amplify the pursuit of peace and explore the vital intersection of Christian faith and social justice in Palestine-Israel.

Show Notes:

Hillary Kaell, Walking Where Jesus Walked: American Christians and Holy Land Pilgrimage

Sara A. Williams and Roger Baumann, “Journeys to and among the Margins: Transnational Religio-Racial Identity on American Christian Palestinian Solidarity Tours”

Sara A. Williams, Moral Commodities and the Practice of Freedom”

Sara also recommends Roger Baumann’s book, Black Visions of the Holy Land: African American Christian Engagement with Israel and Palestine