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A Short History of Christian Zionism: From…
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A Short History of Christian Zionism: From the Reformation to the Twenty-First Century (edição 2021)

por Donald M. Lewis (Autor)

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Christian Zionism influences global politics, especially U.S. foreign policy, and has deeply affected Jewish-Christian and Muslim-Christian relations. With a fair-minded, longitudinal study of this dynamic yet controversial movement, Donald M. Lewis traces its lineage from biblical sources through the Reformation to various movements of today.… (mais)
Membro:nathanfinn
Título:A Short History of Christian Zionism: From the Reformation to the Twenty-First Century
Autores:Donald M. Lewis (Autor)
Informação:IVP Academic (2021), 384 pages
Coleções:Nathan's library
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A Short History of Christian Zionism: From the Reformation to the Twenty-First Century por Donald M. Lewis

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Since events surrounding Israel and Palestine seem to always be in the news, so also Christian Zionism seems to be an evergreen issue. For many who profess Jesus, confidence in God’s continued blessing and favor for Israel according to the flesh seems axiomatic, and Israel’s role in terms of Jesus’ return proves a continual source of speculation and axiomatic confidence. Such beliefs and emphasis would seem entirely strange and unexpected to Christians before the early modern era, and have generally baffled Jewish people throughout the past few hundred years.

Donald Lewis well relates how Christian Zionism came about and its continued presence and emphases in A Short History of Christian Zionism: From the Reformation to the Twenty-First Century. “Short” must be understood in relative terms: this book is almost four hundred pages long, and therefore you probably do not want to know what would be involved in a less than short history of Christian Zionism.

Lewis does well at maintaining as neutral a position on the events and doctrinal/theological formulations as can be possible or expected. He describes the viewpoints of both Zionist and anti-Zionist voices. He does well at handling the historical story without prejudice for or against any given side.

The author tells the story of how Christians viewed the Jewish people and whether they should maintain a homeland in Palestine: “Zionism”, even when such an idea is anachronistic. In terms of the history of Christianity and doctrine, this issue is often strongly influenced by eschatological expectations, especially regarding the millennium; thus the story is as much about the history of eschatological opinion in Christianity as anything else.

The author is able to see a persistent hope for an end times ingathering of Israelites according to the flesh into Christ throughout Christian history, a desire to make good on Paul’s hope in Romans 9 and 11. Otherwise the author rightly does not see much interest or support in “Zionism” in ancient, late antique, or medieval Christianity.

The author does well at setting forth the various conditions which led to the Christian Zionism seen today. First was the Reformation and the Protestant desire to see conversions among Jewish people and looking at Jewish people as prospective allies against the dual-headed threat of the Catholic church and the “Turk”, greater Islam. He describes this as “Christian restorationism,” looking primarily to the restoration of Jewish people to Jesus, and only in a few instances in the early Reformation would it involve Jewish people to their land, and generally in an eschatological context. This “Christian restorationism” has nothing to do with the Restoration (or Stone-Campbell) Movement, which would be focused on restoring the ancient order of things in the Christian faith.

The next major move toward Christian Zionism comes from Britain and America with the Puritan emphasis on Britain or America as the chosen/elect nation/people of God. Any such attempt at emphasis would run up against the reality that the Bible already suggests there is a chosen/elect nation/people of God, Israel according to the flesh; thus many imagined the British as descendants of the “lost” ten tribes of the northern Kingdom of Israel, or imagined God as choosing Britain/America so they could advance the cause of physical Israel to re-establish the latter as a force in the world. The author well demonstrates the relevant ironies: Jewish people themselves weren’t exactly Zionist until the second half of the twentieth century, and thus did not exactly “ask” for this, and anyway, Edward III had expelled all the Jewish people from England in 1290 and they had not yet been welcomed back; therefore these Puritans wanting to “restore” Israel did not know many Jewish people, if any. The author well expresses how such shows this theology is not really for or about the Jewish people; it reflects much more about the anxieties of the Puritans themselves. Furthermore, he also sets forth how Christian Zionism was a particularly British/American obsession and doctrinal/theological/eschatological emphasis.

The author chronicles concern for love for and conversion of the Jewish people among the Pietists of Germany in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, yet without any Zionist impulse. He then chronicles the accelerated advancement of “Christian restorationism” developing into “Christian Zionism” in Britain and America in the 18th and 19th centuries, and its implications both spiritual and political.

The author works diligently to make it clear that not all Christian Zionism stems from dispensational premillennialism as is often conflated in attempts at oversimplification. Darby, the original progenitor of dispensational premillennialism, imagined Jewish people returning to Israel after the “rapture” and envisioned a “dual track” eschatology in which the Jewish people rule over and live on earth while Christians dwelt in heaven. Thus Darby was not exactly a “Zionist” as would be presently understood. A later promoter, Blackstone, would be the one who would shift and adapt dispensational premillennialism toward a more “Zionist” understanding. The author does well at showing how flexible and adaptable dispensational premillennialist viewpoints have proven to be over the past one hundred and fifty years; what is accepted today as “gospel” among dispensational premillennialists was not at all the expectation in the middle of the 19th century.

The author well noted throughout this period the great irony: “Christians” were Zionist long before Jewish people were; when Herzl began advocating for Zionism at the end of the 19th century, he found much more enthusiasm among “Christians” than Jewish people. The logic of Zionism would only become predominant among Jewish people in light of the horror and apocalypse of the Shoah, in which they were violently confronted with the reality they could not escape being nationalized as Jewish people, could not trust they could truly assimilate into any other population, and would benefit from a place of refuge and a base from which they could defend themselves. And it was Christian Zionists, first in Britain and then in America, who provided political muscle to make it happen.

All things Zionism adapt after 1948 and the creation of the State of Israel. The author chronicles the changes: Christian Zionism shifts from mainline Protestantism to Evangelical groups and now particularly Pentecostal/renewalist groups. The State of Israel actively encourages Christian Zionism and has been successful at tempering the proselytization impulse/impetus which marked Christian Zionism. Christian Zionism is no longer only among dispensational premillennialists; I would argue, however, that the eschatological expectations of any historical premillennialist or postmillennialist Christian Zionists today relative to Israel do bear the marks of dispensational premillenialist influence, because not for nothing did few historical premillennialist or postmillennialist believers before the popularity of dispensational premillenialism have any expectations for a pre-eschatological Zionism.

The author also described the anti-Zionist theological, doctrinal, and eschatological positions prevalent today as well as the major players in modern Christian Zionism.

It’s a long, drawn out story. But what should really give pause for thinking is how much more enthusiasm there was for Zionism among Christians than Jewish people for many years, and therefore to wonder how much of Christian Zionism is about the Christians and their self-understanding versus anything to do with actual Jewish people. One may not have originally connected the development of Christian Zionism from the chosen people theology of the Puritans, but such shows yet another misdirected and misbegotten result of that misguided aspect of Puritan theology.

But if you ever wanted to know how it would be possible for so many Christians to entirely miss the script laid out by Jesus and the Apostles, this book can provide some enlightenment and understanding. ( )
  deusvitae | Nov 25, 2023 |
Summary: An account of the understanding of the Jewish people’s claim to their ancient homeland throughout history, and particularly since the Reformation, focusing on Great Britain and the United States.

The idea of the claim of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland has not always been held (at least prior to return of the Messiah), either among the Jews or among Christians. This work traces the history of this idea and the various movements, both Jewish and Christian, and both theological and political that have given rise to Christian Zionism in its modern expressions.

Ronald M. Lewis begins with offering his definition of the contentious term, “Christian Zionism”:

"[A] Christian movement which holds to the belief that the Jewish people have a biblically mandated claim to their ancient homeland in the Middle East."

He notes that for many in history, this has implied a Jewish return but not necessarily a Jewish state.

With that he traces that history, beginning briefly with the period of the early church to the Reformation. For much of this period, the church was characterized by anti-Jewish attitudes, even blaming the loss of the land on the crucifixion of Jesus. While Jerusalem and the Holy Land was an object of the Crusades, it was not for the purpose of restoring the Jewish people to this land.

The change began with the Reformation and the bulk of this book treats the history from the Reformation to the present, particularly beginning with Calvin’s Geneva. It was here that the idea of the Restoration began among the theologians that followed Calvin, distinguishing the Protestants from Catholics, first with the idea of spiritual restoration of the Jews, a mass conversion at some future point, and second of a return to their homeland, seeing in this the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. As the Calvinist movement spread to England, so did these ideas, particularly in the form of seeing England as a chosen nation tasked with protecting and restoring the Jewish people. Meanwhile, German pietism under Philip Spener emphasized Jewish evangelism. These movements would shape the future of Christian Zionism in both Great Britain and America. In America, here as in so many things Jonathan Edwards played a major role, not only in anticipating a great future conversion of the Jews but in the restoration of the people to the land, aided by American political agency.

Subsequent chapters trace the turns these efforts to convert, protect and restore the Jews took in both England and the US, culminating in the Balfour Declaration, British control of Palestine following World War 1 and the migration of Jews to the land and parallel movements in the U.S. and the shifts that occurred from postmillenial to premillenial to charismatic theological support over the years. Lewis describes the various organizations supporting the return of Jews to the land, and later on, support of the Jewish state. He traces these organizations and movements down to the present day and the growth of these into a global movement.

There were several things I appreciated about this work, beginning with the fact that it was highly readable, even as Lewis negotiates the various theological positions, Christian Zionist efforts, and figures on both sides of the Atlantic. Second, I appreciated the fact that this was a descriptive work and not a piece of advocacy. No matter where one stands on the question of Jews and the land, this is a work that may be read with profit.

In addition, Lewis gives the lie to the exclusive association of Christian Zionism with premillenial dispensationalism. In fact, J.N. Darby rejected the idea of the return of the Jews to the land prior to Christ’s coming. He shows how Christian Zionism was adapted to postmillenialism, historic premillenialism, and eventually with pre-millenial dispensationalism theological persuasions, and even to pentecostalism.

He also chronicles the realization of secular leaders of the state of Israel of how important Christian Zionist support was to the Jewish state and Lewis traces how they made the most of Christian tourism to strengthen that support. Lewis draws the arc from Christian ministry efforts to political advocacy.

The book ends on an important question being faced at the present time of the place of conversionist efforts as part of seeking the blessing of the Jews. He notes the growth of a dual covenant theology that turns away from evangelistic efforts and Paul’s efforts to offer the gospel “to the Jews first.” Instead, it advocates love, esteem, and blessing that respects Jews distinctive covenant relationship with God. The dilemma for some is one of cultural insensitivity and offensiveness versus biblical faithfulness. True to the intent of the book, Lewis does not offer an answer but notes the trends that raise the question.

This history is valuable in understanding how we’ve gotten to where we are with Christian Zionism, from the justice issues relating to displaced Palestinians, to ways theology contributes to Christian Zionism as well as how historical events have shaped theology, and how religious and political efforts have intermingled, particularly in both Great Britain and the United States.

____________________________

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher. ( )
  BobonBooks | Aug 4, 2022 |
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Christian Zionism influences global politics, especially U.S. foreign policy, and has deeply affected Jewish-Christian and Muslim-Christian relations. With a fair-minded, longitudinal study of this dynamic yet controversial movement, Donald M. Lewis traces its lineage from biblical sources through the Reformation to various movements of today.

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