Tantur - by Renée Roden (Paperback)

About the Book

"On a hill between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, between East and West, in the meeting point between cultures, religions, and political conflict, there is a small hilltop: Tantur. In this account, journalist Renâee Roden tells the story of this hilltop, its people, and the people trying to forge unity in the birthplace of Christianity"--

Book Synopsis

Discover the spirit and story of Tantur, the ecumenical institute located in the outskirts of Jerusalem, where scholars have been gathering for decades to pray and work together in the search for Christian unity.

On a hill between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, between East and West, in the meeting point-and sometimes sticking point-between cultures, religions, and political conflict, there is a small hilltop: Tantur. In this compelling account, journalist Renée Roden tells the story of this hilltop, its people, and the people trying to forge unity in the birthplace of Christianity, even as the defining conflict of the twentieth century began fracturing the land beneath them. It is a chronicle of the church on pilgrimage, and of learning to walk together on the journey of salvation history. It is a story of the universal church, according to one small hilltop.

Tantur the place has a long history, but the modern complex on its summit was founded by Pope Paul VI in 1965 after Second Vatican Council ended. Later the institute was entrusted to a Catholic priest, president of the University of Notre Dame, with the responsibility of bringing Paul VI's vision of a meeting place between East and West, between Christian theologians of all traditions to completion--an image of hope that remains in the distance.

Review Quotes

"The narrative of Tantur, the ecumenical institute 'on the road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, ' is a drama by turns Shakespearean and Chekhovian, a story for today's newsfeeds, and a microcosm of the church's two-millennia history of traditions that divide and Tradition that--please God--will one day unite. The challenge is brilliantly met by Renée Darline Roden, a theologian who teaches theatre and is a journalist. Tantur: Seeking Christian Unity in a Divided City is deeply researched, alert to the complex interplay of institution and personality, and written with a flair that many a novelist would envy. 'The institute's story is the story of the human hearts that have come there to be tested, ' Roden writes. She brings them, and those tests, vividly to life."
Patrick Henry, former executive director, Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research, coauthor with Thomas F. Stransky, CSP, of God on Our Minds (Liturgical Press and Fortress Press, 1982)
-- (1/15/2025 12:00:00 AM)

"This beautifully written book tells the story, warts and all, of a place where people have come to have their hearts tested and expanded. More than simply the history of one institute, Renée Roden weaves the story of Tantur together with the stories of Jerusalem, the Holy Land, and the ecumenical movement worldwide. The goal is unity, both among Christians and between Jews and Palestinians. As such, Tantur stands as an embodiment of hope in a divided place and at a divided time."
William T. Cavanaugh, Professor of Catholic Studies, DePaul University-- (1/31/2025 12:00:00 AM)

"Reading Tantur changed me. Yes, I've generally supported ecumenism. Yes, I've understood that there's a good deal of suffering in the Holy Land. But in this journalistic history of Tantur, I rediscovered a passion for both ecumenism and the institute in the Holy Land that continues to bring together Christians and Muslims. It's an honest history, but it's the kind that led this reader to an intellectual conversion."
Timothy P. O'Malley, Associate Director for Research, McGrath Institute for Church Life, Notre Dame Center for Liturgy-- (2/3/2025 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Renée D. Roden is a journalist and playwright from Minnesota. She has a bachelor of arts degree in theatre and theology and a masters of theological studies in systematic theology. It was at Notre Dame that Roden first encountered Tantur. She is an alumna of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including The Nation, Religion News Service, America Magazine, The Associated Press, Sojourners, and U.S. Catholic.