Isaac, Munther

Munther Isaac is a Palestinian pastor, author, and theologian based in the West Bank. Raised in Beit Sahour, he completed a PhD at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, later becoming the director of the Christ at the Checkpoint conference and the academic dean of Bethlehem Bible College. Ordained to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land in 2016, he currently pastors two churches, including the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. For some time, Isaac has vocally criticized the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians and Christian Zionist support for Israel. He became more widely known throughout the world due to his activism during the Israel-Hamas War, including media appearances, speaking tours, and social media posts. In December 2023, his church's nativity scene depicting Jesus lying on a pile of rubble and his sermon "Christ in the Rubble: A Liturgy of Lament" went viral. Considered a prominent Palestinian theologian and pastor, Isaac has published several books, including The Other Side of the Wall: A Palestinian Christian Narrative of Lament and Hope (2020).