Glory to God in the lowest : journeys to an unholy land / Donald E. Wagner ; foreword by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II and Phyllis Bennis.

Introduction -- Section I. Beginnings: 1. Coming of Age in the Sixties: A Journey to Political Consciousness -- 2. Journey to Adulthood and Political Engagement -- 3. A Change is Gonna Come -- Section II. Moving On Up While Downwardly Mobile: 4. Out of the Ivy Tower: Time to Walk the Talk -- 5. The Sin and Sickness of Racism: The Context for Service and Growth -- 6. Learning from a Master Teacher -- 7. An Unexpected Transition -- Section III. Journeys to an Unholy Land: 8. Middle East Calling -- 9. Stepping into the Troubled Waters of the Middle East -- 10. Diving into the Middle East: First and Lasting Impressions -- 11. If You Have Eyes to See: The Beauty and the Brutality -- 12. Cyprus, Israel/Palestine, Egypt: Caught in the Gap Between Justice and Resignation -- Section IV. Doctor, My Eyes Have Seen the Pain: 13. Begin the Pilgrimage to Palestine -- 14. A Ringside Seat to the Israeli Invasion of Lebanon -- 15. When They Call You an Extremist -- 16. Their Blood Cries Out! The Sabra/Shatila Massacre -- Section V. Palestine is Still the Issue: 17. My Journey with Evangelicals and Justice in the Unholy Land -- 18. A Revival of Resistance in the Unholy Land: The First Palestinian Intifada -- 19. In and Out of Academia -- Section VI. Liberating Your Mind: Zionism, Christian Zionism, and Resistance: 20. My Journey With Zionism and Christian Zionism: Seeking Liberation -- 21. Conclusion: The End is Another Beginning -- Photos -- Endnotes -- Acknowledgments.

"After serving for five years as a pastor in a remarkable Black church, Donald Wagner comes to fully understand the original sin of racism. As his journey continues, he encounters another marginalized people-the Palestinians-and witnesses their struggle for justice and equality. Touched by their resilience and fight against injustice, he leaves the pastorate to assume full time work as an advocate for Palestinian political and human rights. The memoir begins in mid-September 1982, with a gut-wrenching day interviewing survivors of the Sabra-Shatila massacre in Lebanon, as they wept and waited for the bodies of family members to be pulled from the rubble. Donald Wagner's conversation with the local Imam ended with a challenge: "You must return home and tell what you have seen. This is all we ask. Go back and tell the truth." Glory to God in the Lowest is a metaphor for his counter intuitive journey with the victims of the "chosen people" in the "unholy land," also called historic Palestine or Israel. The irony of the journey reminds us that God is everywhere especially with the disinherited, the victims of the powerful, including the victims of Israeli oppression. The memoir touches on history and includes political analysis and theological reflection. In it, Donald Wagner describes Israel's continued colonization and destruction of Palestinian lives and chronicles his involvement in a grassroots movement of resistance that demands justice based on full equality, an end to the Israeli military occupation and settler colonization project, the right of return for Palestinian refugees, and full political rights for the Palestinian people. Filled with stories-some humorous and some shocking-as well as encounters with people of every race, gender, and religious affiliation working below the radar, this book will inspire, challenge, and offer a narrative that envisions a transformed "unholy land," where justice, liberation, and equality for all is the reality for every citizen"-- Provided by publisher.