One of the clearest explanation of Christian Zionism is given by church historian Don Lewis of Regent College, Vancouver, who has written highly-acclaimed two books on the subject. He says:
The way I define Christian Zionism is that it is a term to describe those Christians who believe that the Jewish people have a biblically-mandated right to a homeland in Palestine and that Christians should be politically active in advancing this. It is often now used to describe those who believe that they are scripturally obligated to rally political support for the State of Israel. Up until the late nineteenth century the word "restorationism" was used of these people, but about the turn of the twentieth century the term “Christian Zionism” began to be used. Opinion polls indicate that a large percentage of North American evangelicals embrace Christian Zionism—less so in Great Britain. In the non-Western world, particularly in South America and Africa, Christian Zionism is strongly growing and beginning to influence the foreign policies of some nations. It is generally enthusiastically supported by charismatic and Pentecostal Christians.
Even this is, like everything about this highly controversial, open to objections. Does "and that Christians should be politically active in advancing this" imply that the state of modern Israel has a right to its almost always illegal expansionistic policies into the West Bank (or on the extremist view, Jordan as well)? But the controvery may largely be accounted for by two main reasons.
Firstly, Christian Zionism by its very nature has a very prominent political face, and this causes two problems. 1) As already implied above, politics is always shifting in its boundaries. What political boundaries circumscribe Christian Zionism? Almost no work on Christian Zionism addresses this question. 2) Humans, including Christians, do not seem able to think clearly when it comes to politics. This is, perhaps, not where more clearly visible that the very practical and, in Christian circles, the seldom discussed question of the terrible loss and injustice that has been caused, and continues to cause, to those Arab Palestinians (including many Christians) for whom the land of Palestine has been home for longer than Jews have ever held the land in their entire history. Politically motivated and coersive disenfrenchisement of people from their home is not a fate Christians would gladly suffer for themselves or others(North American Christians would be the first to protest against the Chinese government exiling any Uighurs) but it is something that Christian Zionists seem to feel is justified, perhaps even mandated, in Israel. There is no adjective for this, it seems, but "pious hypocrisy." What are the boundaries for God-pleasing Christian Zionists?
Secondly, the biblical basis for Christian Zionism, and the mandate for the political involvement that follows, are themselves controversial. This cannot be otherwise since the Bible says almost nothing that is plain about the subject, and what has been adduced from it in support of the belief is open to question. Scholarly work that are grounded in serious exegesis in its favour are generally not plentiful, while popular writings by Christian Zionists are better known for their fanciful eisegesis than for balance and clear-headedness.
This finally brings us to the ugly side of the controversy when those who cannot find it in their heart and mind to support Christian Zionism in its more extreme form (which they distinguish from the question of modern Israel's right to live at peace in the land which they do support) are deemed—or worse, shouted down as being—anti-semitic.
The three books recommended below, we hope, will make a beginning in the much needed clarifcation both the theology and politics of Christian Zionism. Such clarification are deperately needed both for the sake of Christian ethics (Christians can know how they may please God), and for Christian witness (non-Christians can see that Christianity is not another oppressive imperialist ideology, or a friend of it).
Further Reading:
Donald Lewis, The Origins of Christian Zionism: Lord Shaftesbury and Evangelical Support for a Jewish Homeland.. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Read more about the book.
Donald Lewis, A Short History of Christian Zionism. From the Reformation to the Twenty-First Century. Grand Rapids: IVP, 2021. Read more about the book: 1, 2.
Gerald R. McDermott, ed., The New Christian Zionism. Fresh Perspectives on Israel and the Land. Grand Rapids: IVP, 2016. Read more about the book.
G. Gorenberg, The End of Days: Fundamentalism and the Struggle for the Temple Mount. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.
Resources:
J. Gordon McConville, "Prophecy and Modern Israel," Evangel 2:1 (1984): 18-20. (Open on Phone)
A Short History of Christian Zionism with Don Lewis. Regent College News, 2021. html N
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