Faithful Politics Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos on Palestinian Christians, Gaza, and the Land of Jesus
In this episode of Faithful Politics, we talk with Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos, a Greek Orthodox nun who has spent nearly three decades living and working in Jerusalem and the West Bank. From teaching Palestinian girls in Bethany to navigating Israeli checkpoints during the Second Intifada, she offers a firsthand view of what life looks like for Christians under occupation.
She explains how families lose access to their land, why Christians are cut off from their own holy sites, and how settlements and the separation wall have reshaped daily life. We also discuss Gaza, October 7, and the role of the United States in sustaining the current system.
Throughout the conversation, Mother Agapia reflects on faith, endurance, and what it means to follow Christ in a place defined by displacement, fear, and political power.
Useful Link:
- Convent website: https://www.stnicholasconvent.org/
- Two groups that offer trips to Israel and Palestine to understand life of Christians there:
Guest Bio
Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos is a Greek Orthodox Christian nun who entered monastic life in 1991 and has spent decades serving in Jerusalem and the West Bank. She worked in Orthodox schools for Palestinian children and lived through the Second Intifada, the construction of the separation wall, and the expansion of Israeli settlements.
Her work centers on Palestinian Christian communities and how occupation shapes daily life, faith, and survival in the Holy Land. She challenges the use of Christian theology to justify violence and land seizure and speaks widely about the human and spiritual cost of the conflict. She is also the sister of journalist George Stephanopoulos.
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