Author Archives: wallwritings

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About wallwritings

From 1972 through 1999, James M. Wall was editor and publisher of the Christian Century magazine, based in Chicago, lllinois. He was a Contributing Editor of the Century from 1999 until July, 2017. He has written this blog, wall writings.me, since it was launched April 27, 2008. If you would like to receive Wall Writings alerts when new postings are added to this site, send a note, saying, Please Add Me, to jameswall8@gmail.com Biography: Journalism was Jim's undergraduate college major at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. He has earned two MA degrees, one from Emory, and one from the University of Chicago, both in religion. He is an ordained United Methodist clergy person. He served for two years in the US Air Force, and three additional years in the USAF reserve. While serving on active duty with the Alaskan Command, he reached the rank of first lieutenant. He has worked as a sports writer for both the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, was editor of the United Methodist magazine, Christian Advocate for ten years, and editor and publisher of the Christian Century magazine for 27 years. James M Wall died March 22, 2021 at age 92. His family appreciates all of his readers, even those who may have disagreed with his well-informed writings.

Church Leader Tells Palestinians and Israelis “eat together and listen to each other’s stories”

by James M. Wall (New Comments Posted Below) An appalling shallowness has descended over Mainline Protestantism. Episcopalians, United Methodists and Presbyterians are actually debating how they should deal with the Israeli Occupation Martin Luther King, sitting in that Birmingham city … Continue reading

Posted in Episcopal Church, Middle East, Middle East Politics, Presbyterian Church, Religion and politics, Religious Faith, United Methodist Church | 38 Comments

The View From Israel/US In 1977 and 2012

The editorial comment below is reprinted from the Christian Century magazine of November 23, 1977.  At the time the editorial appeared, I was the editor of the Century. This was the week’s lead editorial.   In 1977, I had been editor for five … Continue reading

Posted in Middle East Politics, Politics and Elections, Politics in Religion, Religion and politics, United Nations | 13 Comments

Should the US Go to War for Israel?

by James M. Wall Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the annual AIPAC conference earlier this week. He also held a private meeting with US President Barack Obama. In his AIPAC speech, Netanyahu evoked the Holocaust as the source … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 11 Comments

Netanyahu Comes To Town To Push Attack on Iran; Obama Tells AIPAC Diplomacy Is Better

by James M. Wall Sunday afternoon update following President Obama’s AIPAC speech  When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes his annual state visit this week to Washington he will be surrounded by sycophants and loyal political allies prepared to respond to … Continue reading

Posted in Media, Middle East Politics, Movies, Netanyahu, Obama, Politics and Elections | 21 Comments

Which Matters Most, AIPAC’s Power, or Rachel Corrie’s Death?

by James M. Wall  Two events arrive next month on the American political calendar: The annual AIPAC Policy Conference, and the ninth anniversary of Rachel Corrie’s death. These two events are related the way yin relates to  yang, a concept from Asian … Continue reading

Posted in Middle East Politics, Netanyahu, Obama, Presbyterian Church USA, Religion and politics, United Methodist Church | 18 Comments

Khader Adnan Is A Requested Palestinian Gandhi; Yet They Saw Him Not

by James M. Wall Khader Adnan has reached an agreement with the Israeli military authorities.  He promises to end his hunger strike, but only if Israel guarantees to give him back his freedom April 17. Israel blinked, saying, in effect, … Continue reading

Posted in Media, Middle East Politics, Netanyahu, Obama, Politics and Elections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Destructive Madness of Extremism: First McCarthyism, Then Radical Zionism

by James M. Wall (See Sunday afternoon update on Khader Adnan’s condition below.) The right-wing government leaders of the state of Israel, bolstered by their powerful US allies, are trembling with excitement at the prospect of a military attack against … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Media, Middle East, Middle East Politics, Netanyahu, Politics and Elections | 19 Comments

Khader Adnan Continues Hunger Strike

by James M. Wall Khader Adnan is a 33-year-old Palestinian graduate student, who, until he was arrested by Israeli police on December 17, 2011, lived in the occupied West Bank with his wife and two young daughters. Their home is … Continue reading

Posted in Middle East, Middle East Politics, Religious Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Dershowitz Attacks Penn BDS Conference; Next In Line, The United Methodist Church

by James M. Wall Israeli blogger Noam Sheizal writes in the US based, Foreign Policy’s The Middle East Channel, that the majority of voters in Israel currently have no interest in ending the country’s 44 year-long military occupation of the West … Continue reading

Posted in Middle East Politics, Religion and politics, United Methodist Church | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

It is Time for Voters To Listen to Friedman

by James M. Wall Before the South Carolina primary, casino mogul Sheldon Adelson gave $5 million dollars to an independent PAC supporting Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. That worked so well that a second $5 million dollar gift was soon … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in Media, Middle East Politics, Politics and Elections | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments