Christian Zionism is a movement within Protestant fundamentalism that understands the modern state of the country-region Israel as the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and thus deserving of political, financial, and religious support. It grew out of a particular theological system called premillennial dispensationalism. Its doctrines became clear during the early nineteenth century in England when there was an outpouring of millennial doctrines following the year 1800.
Christian Zionists work closely with the Israeli government, religious and secular Jewish Zionist organizations, and are particularly empowered during periods when the more conservative Likud Party is in control of the Knesset. Both the secular and religious media place Christian Zionists within the larger Protestant evangelical movement, which claims upwards of 100-125 million supporters in the United States. To be more precise, Christian Zionism should be placed within the fundamentalist wing of Protestant Christianity, as the evangelical movement is far larger and more diverse in its theology and historical development.
Christian Zionism is a growing political and religious movement within the most conservative branches of Protestant fundamentalism but it can also be found in the broader Evangelical branches of Christianity including the evangelical wings of the mainline Protestant churches (Presbyterian, United Methodist, Lutheran, etc.) It thrives during periods of political and economic unrest, such as the present time, with the rise of international terrorism, global recession, and fear of a series of wars in the Middle East. With its pessimistic view of history, Christian Zionism seeks to provide simple and clear answers from its literal and predictive approach to the Bible. Some estimate that these views are held by 20-25 million U.S. fundamentalist Christians, however, due to its increased interest and the uncertainty of the times, it is a growing phenomenon.
From Rev. Donald Wagner, “Defining Christian Zionism, http://christianzionism.org/Article/Wagner02.asp
Resources
WEBSITE: www.ChristianZionism.org
MERIP – Web page: Countering Christian Zionism in the Age of Trump Excerpt: The May 2018 ceremony marking the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem featured many of the usual suspects. US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, Senior Advisor to President Donald Trump Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu all delivered remarks during the more than one-hour-long ceremony that touted the US-Israel relationship and, in Netanyahu’s words, embraced Jerusalem as “the eternal, undivided capital of Israel.” BOOKS Chosen? Reading the Bible Amid the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, by Walter Brueggemann Jesus and the Land: The New Testament Challenge to “Holy Land” Theology, by Gary M. Burge Whose Land? Whose Promise? What Christians are not being told about Israel and the Palestinians, by Gary Burge Zionism through Christian Lenses: Ecumenical Perspectives on the Promised Land, by Carole Monica Burnett Zeal for Zion: Christians, Jews, and the Idea of the Promised Land, by Shalom L. Goldman Comprehending Christian Zionism: Perspectives in Comparison, by Goran Gunner and Robert O. Smith The Bible & Zionism, by Nur Musalha The Wrath of Jonah: The Crisis of Religious Nationalism in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, by Rosemary Radford Ruether and Herman Ruether Christian Zionism: Roadmap to Armageddon? by Stephen Sizer Zion’s Christian Soldiers? The Bible, Israel and the Church, by Stephen Sizer More Desired than Our Owne Salvation: The Roots of Christian Zionism, by Robert O. Smith Anxious for Armageddon: A Call To Partnership For Middle Eastern and Western Christians, by Donald E. Wagner (1995)
Trump’s embassy move was controversial—but the two speakers who opened and closed the ceremony were equally controversial. Two evangelical Christian megachurch pastors from Texas who advise Trump, Robert Jeffress and John Hagee, earnestly prayed and thanked God for making the state of Israel possible and Trump for having the courage to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish people. Read more
See full descriptions for these books at our page Books: Religion; The Bible; Christian Zionism