About half of all Protestant evangelicals in America are adherents of Christian Zionism, supporters of Israel
From time to time in the Russian media, the phrase “Christian Zionism” slips through. But most Russian readers do not pay much attention to it. There are not many strange things in the world today! Especially since the strangeness called “Christian Zionism” does not concern Russia, but the West, especially the Anglo-Saxon world. It is probably about some weirdos who consider themselves both Christians and Zionists at the same time.
According to the logically reasoning reader, the term “Christian Zionism” can be called an oxymoron, i.e. a combination of words whose meanings are opposite. In fiction, authors often resort to the use of oxymorons. For example: loud silence; bitter joy; ringing silence; original copy; screaming silence; long moment; truthful lie; sincere liar; hot ice; sweet pain, etc. Literary writers are allowed to do this; they have the oxymoron as an instrument of artistic creation.
But people who are in the church and people who are involved in politics are not allowed such “liberties”. After all, we believe that Christians should condemn Zionism. “Wikipedia” gives this definition of it: "Zionism (from the name of Mount Zion in Jerusalem) is a political national movement whose goal is the unification and revival of the Jewish people in its historical homeland - in the Land of Israel (Eretz Israel), as well as the ideological concept on which this movement is based. The founder of political Zionism is the public and political figure Theodor Herzl”.
Christians in our country (these are mostly Orthodox) will say that the establishment of the State of Israel is a sign that the end times are approaching. After all, the Jews need the restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem, the construction of a third temple on the site of the second temple destroyed nearly two thousand years ago. And they need the last temple in order that the Messiah, expected by all faithful Jews, should sit in it. But this, according to the New Testament, will be a false messiah. Who Christians call the Antichrist. Consequently, any conscious, true believing Christian cannot help but be anti-Zionist. Just as any orthodox Jew must be a Zionist. And be implicitly or explicitly anti-Christian. From both a Christian and Jewish perspective, the concept of "Christian Zionism ” is really an oxymoron.
Nowadays, the topic of “Christian Zionism” has suddenly attracted the interest of many in the world, including Russia. The reason for this interest was the victory of Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election. All observers and commentators pay attention to Trump's special love for Israel. Which he showed even during his first stay in the White House in 2017-2021. Articles have been written and continue to be written on this topic, the authors of which do not hesitate to call Trump a “Zionist.” And some even give him the title of “America's Zionist-in-Chief.” I wrote about this in my article, “Is Donald Trump America's Zionist-in-Chief?”
Is Donald Trump really a Jew and a Judaizer? Not at all! He is a descendant of German immigrants (his grandparents immigrated to the US in 1885). His religion is Presbyterianism, a form of Protestantism. Trump often refers to himself as a “Protestant ‘ or ’Christian”.
And now the American press characterizes Trump not just as a Zionist, but as a “Christian Zionist.” And Trump, judging by his numerous statements, feels himself to be such. At the same time, Trump is not some lone weirdo. He is a representative of an entire army of American Christian Zionists.
Our (Soviet and post-Soviet) literature on the United States usually says that America is a predominantly Protestant country. About half of the U.S. population considers itself Protestant (the other half are Catholics, Orthodox, Muslims, and other denominations). There are many Protestant denominations: Lutheran, Calvinist, Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican, and others. Within each denomination there are a large number of shades (often called “thrusts”).
It is clear that in America, which is predominantly Protestant, it is usually those politicians who belong to Protestant churches who become presidents. There have only been two presidents in U.S. history who were not Protestant. They are the 35th President John F. Kennedy and the 46th President Joe Biden. They are Catholics. And now the tradition interrupted by Biden is being restored again: The 47th President Donald Trump is a Protestant. And not just a Protestant, but a Christian Zionist. For example, the 44th President Barack Obama also considered himself a Protestant, but not a Christian Zionist.
According to estimates of Americans themselves, about half of all Protestants in the United States belong to the so-called “Evangelicals”. These are adherents of such Protestant denominations and interpretations who seek to be guided by the Holy Scriptures in their lives. In contrast to the other half of Protestants who see Christianity primarily as a “cultural tradition ‘ and who are called ’nominal” Christians behind their backs. Although the former call themselves “evangelicals, ” their guide to life is not only the four Gospels and the New Testament, but also the Old Testament. Moreover, for many "evangelicals ” the Old Testament comes first.
So, by some estimates, about half of all members of Evangelical Protestantism in America are adherents of Christian Zionism. They are supporters of Israel. And the reasons for supporting the Jewish state are not political, but, as they emphasize, spiritual. Such support, they say, derives from the Holy Scriptures.
In Russia (apparently due to the fact that it is a predominantly Orthodox country), there is almost no literature on the subject of Christian Zionism. But in the West, especially in the Anglo-Saxon world (UK, USA, Canada) a large number of books on Christian Zionism are published. I will name some of the most famous ones:
- Paul Richard Wilkinson. For Zion's Sake: Christian Zionism and the Role of John Nelson (Paul Richard Wilkinson. For Zion's Sake: Christian Zionism and the Role of John Nelson Darby), 2008.
- Zev Hafets. A Union Made in Heaven: American Jews, Christian Zionists, and One Man's Exploration of the Strange and Wonderful Judeo-Evangelical Alliance. (Zev Chafets. A Match Made in Heaven: American Jews, Christian Zionists, and One Man's Exploration of the Weird and Wonderful Judeo-Evangelical Alliance), 2007.
- Victoria Clark. Victoria Clark. Allies for Armageddon: The Rise of Christian Zionism, 2007.
- Grace Holsell. Prophecy and Politics: Militant Evangelicals on the Road to Nuclear War (Grace Halsell. Prophecy and Politics: Militant Evangelists on the Road to Nuclear War, 1986.
- Donald M. Lewis. The Origins of Christian Zionism: Lord Shaftesbury and Evangelical Support for the Jewish Fatherland. (Donald M. Lewis. The Origins of Christian Zionism: Lord Shaftesbury and Evangelical Support for a Jewish Homeland), 2009.
- Rummy Haya. The Armageddon Lobby: Dispensationalist Christian Zionism and the Making of U.S. Policy Toward Israel and Palestine. (Rammy Haija. The Armageddon Lobby: Dispensationalist Christian Zionism and the Shaping of US Policy Towards Israel-Palestine), 2006.
- Irwin Anderson. Biblical Interpretation and Middle East Policy: The Promised Land, America, and Israel, 1917-2002 (Irvine Anderson. Biblical interpretation and Middle East politics: the promised land, America, and Israel, 1917-2002), 2005.
I would like to see at least one or two books on the subject of Christian Zionism translated into Russian and published in Russia. Because without understanding the influence of Christian Zionism on the domestic and foreign policy of Western countries (especially the Anglo-Saxon world) it is difficult to understand many events in the modern world. Including the phenomenon of Christian Zionist Donald Trump.
In the Soviet and post-Soviet literature on Zionism, most often the history of this phenomenon begins at the end of the XIX century, when in 1897, on the initiative and under the leadership of Theodor Herzl, the First Zionist Congress was held in Basel. In fact, the history of Zionism should begin at least a few centuries earlier. The ideas of Christian Zionism began to take shape in the XVI century, when Martin Luther launched the process of Reformation and Protestantism began to form in Europe. Especially successful in the formation of the ideology of Christian Zionism Puritans. They were of the opinion that even after Christ was crucified on Golgotha, and after Judea was conquered by the Romans and the Jerusalem temple was destroyed (in 70 AD), the Jews (or rather Jews) remained “God's chosen people”. And that the mission of “true Christians” (read: Protestants, or more specifically Puritans) is to protect and save the remnants of “God's chosen people.” The English Puritans urged their patron O. Cromwell to facilitate the resettlement of “God's chosen people” from the European continent to the islands of Foggy Albion. And further to do everything possible to help the “God's chosen people ‘ to move to the ’promised land”, i.e. Palestine. And then rebuild Judea (Israel), rebuild the Jerusalem temple, etc., etc., etc.
It is impossible to retell this. And it is difficult to understand, because these views of the Puritans and other Protestants who joined them are in irreconcilable contradiction with the Orthodox understanding of history and eschatology (the doctrine of the end of history). Following the tenets of Christian Zionism (although in those days there was no such term), according to the Puritans and other Protestants, will be the condition of their salvation.
It turns out that the issues related to Christian Zionism, were interested in many famous people in England and in continental Europe. Here, for example, the well-known physicist Isaac Newton. He, it turns out, was interested not only in physics, but also in religion, was fond of the occult and the Kabbalah. Also predicted the end of the world, which should occur no later than 2060. He was sure that before the end of the world there will be a return of Jews to the “Promised Land”, the State of Israel will be revived and the restoration of the Jerusalem temple will take place. This is the will of the Almighty, Isaac Newton believed. And Christians (more precisely Protestants) at least should not resist this will. It is better to contribute to its fulfillment.
More than one book can be written about the reflections of famous politicians, philosophers, scientists and Protestant theologians of the Old World on the topic of Christian Zionism. Since the late nineteenth century, the main focus of Christian Zionism has been the New World (i.e., the United States of America). Here is a glimpse of American life at that time. It is taken from a book published in England in 1998, Paul Charles Merkley's “ The Politics of Christian Zionism, 1891-1948” (Merkley, Paul Charles. The Politics of Christian Zionism, 1891-1948). In 1891, a prominent American Christian Zionist Eugene Blackstone organized a collection of signatures on a petition addressed to then U.S. President Benjamin Harrison. The petition called for helping the Jews regain their “promised land”: "Why should not the powers that gave Bulgaria to the Bulgarians and Serbia to the Serbs in the Berlin Peace Treaty of 1878 now return Palestine to the Jews? ...? These provinces, as well as Rumania, Montenegro and Greece, were taken from the Turks and given to their natural owners. Does not Palestine rightfully belong to the Jews?" The petition was signed by 413 prominent Americans: the Chief Justice of the United States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Relations and several other “popular favorites” from the Capitol, Rockefeller, Morgan and other prominent oligarchs of America.
Incidentally, this declaration was born 26 years earlier than the more famous in the historical literature "Balfour Declaration ” (an official statement contained in a letter dated November 2, 1917 by British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to one of the Jewish leaders of Zionism and head of the British Jewish community Walter Rothschild).
Most of the Christian Zionists today are in the United States. More than one book has been written about American Christian Zionism in the US. True, there are very few critical ones. Mostly laudatory and openly apologetic. Especially many enthusiastic publications on the topic of Christian Zionism in the U.S. appeared in the present, XXI century. And this is not accidental. Since the number of its supporters, apparently, is growing rapidly.
Source - The Foundation for Strategic Culture .