UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIAN ZIONISM

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• UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIAN ZIONISM
• Theological and Regional Variations
• Calvin L. Smith

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• Christian Zionism in the News
• Claims US Middle East policy influenced/shaped
  by powerful Christian Zionist lobby (cf Balfour)
• Well-known televangelist Zionists
• Hamas warnings to Christian Zionists
• (regarded as a fair target)
• Recent attacks upon UK churches with
  Zion in their name

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Defining Christian Zionism

• Heb. Sion (Zion)
• Ophel ? Jerusalem ? Jewish homeland in Palestine
• Jewish Zionism
• Support for a Jewish homeland on political
  grounds
• Christian Zionism
• Support for a Jewish homeland on theological
  grounds
• Primarily an Evangelical movement

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• Christian Zionism perceived as monolithic.
• All Christian Zionists uncritically support
  Israel
• All Christian Zionists reject land for peace
• Purpose of This Presentation
• Demonstrate Christian Zionism is not
• homogenous (Evangelical Left vs Right)
• Identify how local factors shape Christian
  Zionisms
• Highlight several methodological issues when
  researching religio-political issues such as this
  

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Why It Matters

• Israel-Palestine conflict major issue on the
  geopolitical stage
• Theological nature of the conflict (Christian
  Zionism, liberation theology, settler Judaism,
  Muslim land)
• Perceived role of Evangelicals in shaping US
  policy in the Middle East
• In short, an example of how religion
• impacts society and politics
• (cf 1980s religion as a political determinant)
• Hence, growing literature on Christian Zionism

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• Regional and theological variations of Christian
  Zionism

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1. Israel and Latin American Pentecostalism

• REVOLUTIONARY NICARAGUA (1979-1990)
• Leftist Sandinista revolution
• Sandinista links with PLO (training camps)
• Nicaraguan Pentecostalism pro-US, classical,
  Zionist
• CDS, ration cards, Mark of the Beast
• Actualised hermeneutic Were in the End
  Times
• Sandinista view of Israel cited as proof
• Sandinista purge of Nicaraguan Jewry

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• Thus, local factors exacerbated AoGs Zionism
• cf. autochthonous Pentecostalism in Latin America
• (eg Chile, Brazil)
• Less dependent on exogenous theology
• Less inclined to embrace classical Pentecostal
• theology (eg glossolalia in Chile)
• Less eschatological, less Zionist
• Also, less suspicious of the Left (unlike in
  Nicaragua)
• Grassroots Chilean Pentecostals and Allende
  (1970) cf hierarchical support for Pinochet

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2. US versus UK Christian Zionisms

• DOMINANT EXPRESSION OF U.S. ZIONISM
• Highly politicised (political right)
• Eschatologically-driven, apocalyptic
• Seeks to hasten parousia
• Actualised hermeneutic (pivotal biblical prophecy
  role some argue it seeks to foment Middle East
  crisis)
• BRITISH CHRISTIAN ZIONISM
• More covenantal (focus on Jews as Gods covenant
  people)
• Less eschatological
• (But note both expressions present in UK and US)

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3. British Pentecostalism and Israel

• CLASSICAL PENTECOSTALISM IN THE UK
• Traditionally Zionist (though not as much as US)
• (NB gradual AoG shift to amillennialism)
• RESTORATIONISM (house church mt)
• Bryn Jones internationalism, pro-Palestinian
• (w/c, British trade unionist internationalism?)
• Terry Virgo and New Frontiers
• Promotion of Stephen Sizer

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4. Evangelical Views From the Holy Land

• Palestinian liberation theology, Reformed Arabs
• (local factor Evangelical Arabs much less
  Zionist)
• But also Christian Zionist Arabs!
• Christian Arabs who reject both
• supercessionism and Zionism
• Grassroots vs hierarchy
• Jerusalem, Israeli, West Bank Arab-Christian
  differences
• Messianic Jews as Zionists or anti-supercessionist
  
• Reformed Jewish Christians
• (political, not theological Zionists)

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5. Christian Zionism or anti-Supercessionism?

• R. Kendall Soulen
• The God of Israel and Christian Theology
• Identifies three forms of supercessionism
• punitive, economic, structural
• Soulen rejects supercessionism completely
• The Jews remain Gods chosen people
• But Soulen also firmly rejects Zionism

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Other Factors to Consider

• Some Christian Zionists publicly criticise Israel
• Some Christian Zionists reject the anti-Arab
  racism within parts of the movement
• (Hagaric covenant)
• Some Christian Zionists allow for an exchange of
  land for peace

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• IN SUMMARY

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Parodies of Pro-Israel Christian Views

• All pro-Israel Christians are Zionist
• All Zionists on the political right
• All Zionists are politically active and lobbying
  their governments
• All are obsessed with the land and the End Times
• None want peace in the Middle East
• All are racists, anti-Arab
• Lacks nuance.
• Christian Zionism is more complex.

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Yes, such views exist. But

• Note various expressions of Christian Zionism
• Note also how local factors/theology help shape
  the movement
• Some focus on the people rather than the land
• Possible common ground for dialogue between
  pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian Christians?

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Methodological Issues

• Take care of explanations relying heavily on
  homogeneity/generalisation
• Interview all stakeholders (eg hierarchichal,
  grassroots, different denominations)
• Dangers of ideologically-driven sources
• Problems with investing too much authority in a
  single source or interview

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For a copy of this Powerpoint file

• www.calvinsmith.org
• Resources ? Other Resources