Faith Beyond Despair

by Elias Chacour, Alain Michel (Primary Contributor), Anthony Harvey (Translator)

Based upon conversations recorded by a French journalist, this book mixes autobiographical reflections with a critique of the contemporary state of the Middle East. It tells the stories of many individuals working for peace and of his own work, especially with children and students of the school and college he has founded.

Fr Elias Chacour, author of the bestselling books Blood Brothers and We Belong to the Land, is the Archbishop of Galilee. Seeing the lack of educational opportunities for Palestinian youth, he created a school open to all local children which opened in the early 1980s. The Mar Elias Educational Institution and now caters for 4,500 students, representing all major religions and ethnicities in Israel.

138 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2004

About the author

Elias Chacour is the Archbishop of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth and All Galilee of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Noted for his efforts to promote reconciliation between Arabs and Israelis, he is the author of two books about the experience of Palestinian people living in present-day Israel. He describes himself as a "Palestinian-Arab-Christian-Israeli".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elias_Ch...

Reviews

[Calla Gilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciated the longitudinal attention to the conflict that this book provided. Chacour is able to render powerful stories from his childhood in Palestine, and weave them through stories about his ministry work in education and justice as a Priest and advocate from his community.

Themes of the interreligious work of the Holy Spirit and the necessity of calling truth to places of power are central. His words towards America are sharp, and his dialogue on the Western idea of charity is fresh.

A really good read to gain perspective of someone who grew up here who shares stories deeply soaked in a humanity.

Elias Chacour was the Archbishop of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth and All Galilee of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 2006 to 2014.

[Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written with compassion and intensity. Elias Chacour is a Palestinian Christian who is also a Melkite Catholic priest and a man of peace. At a young age, his life took a big change when Palestine, his home, became Israel. As a man of God, he urges all the groups in Israel, Jews, Christians and Muslims to work together for peace, but sees success in very small increments. He has worked for the establishment of a series of schools that include children from all three faiths so that they may see each other as children first, residents of Israel second and then their religious identity third. Now a bishop, he writes of the happenings along the way as these schools come to fruition for the most part. He points fingers where they need to be pointed and issues praise where that is merited. His interesting and daring life is worth reading about.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elias Chacour is a very brave and accepting man. His courage takes him in many directions definitely NOT prescribed by the general inhabitants of the land of Israel. His writing draws you in.