Undoing Conquest: Ancient Israel, the Bible, and the Future of Christianity

How a new understanding of the origins of the Hebrew people can help churches recognize and take responsibility for a history of violence and conquest, make reparations, and seek reconciliation.

In the last century, archaeologists of the Highlands Settlements north of Jerusalem uncovered evidence that reshapes traditional understandings of Israelite history and the Bible. This new history remains largely untold outside of specialized archeological and biblical studies contexts. In Undoing Conquest, Kate Common recovers the material evidence that challenges the theological imagination of conquest that has permeated Christianity.

Examining how biblical conquest narratives shaped Christian ideology, Undoing Conquest offers ways to incorporate the story the Highlands Settlements reveal into the life of the church to repair the harms of settler-colonialism and genocide, creating a more just future.