People of the Land: A Twenty-First Century Case for Christian Zionism
The Institute on Religion and Democracy is hosting this one day conference today to ask and answer the questions:
- Can Christian Zionism be defended in the twenty-first century? Theologically? Historically?
- Can it be defended in ways that are consistent with Jewish and Christian scriptures?
- Are its legal, moral, and political outworkings compatible with the ideals of the biblical covenant?
I am attending this event and will be doing some “live-blogging” of the speakers. These scholars have written entire shelves of books on the topics, but given the 1-day format, each only has about 20 minutes to make their presentations.
First, Dr. Gerald McDermott is answering the question, “Is Christian Zionism rooted primarily in premillennial dispensationalism?”–answering in the negative. Walking through the pages of church history, McDermott makes a convincing case that long before the rise of premillennialism (1830s), Christian theologians and statesman argued for Christian Zionism. McDermott showed that Zionism has not been universally connected to premillennialism–though that is often the way in which it is portrayed.
So, in contrast to current scholarship which describes Christian Zionism as being (1) recent and (2) dispensational–McDermott says this is not accurate.
Second, Dr. Craig Blaising is speaking on hermeneutics. “How are we to interpret the relation between Tanach and the New Testament on this question?”
Blaising asked–If there is no eschatological place for Israel then there is no basis for attributing any kind of theological significance to the state of Israel or the land of Israel?
He then explored the issue of continuity between the Old and New Testaments–arguing for continuity. That the Scripture as a whole is best understood when one sees and understands God’s purposes and plans for Israel. Hence, Paul’s arguments in Romans 8.
There is a tie to our own Christian identity/security in Christ and our understanding of God’s fidelity to Israel.
Third, Dr. Joel Willitts, “Do the people of Israel and the land of Israel persist as abiding concerns in the gospel of Matthew?”
Fourth, Dr. Mark Kinzer, “Do the people of Israel and the land of Israel persist as abiding concerns in Luke and Acts?
Kinzer argues, contra Gary Burge, that Luke keeps Jerusalem central in his two volumes.
Fifth, Dr. David Rudolph: “Does Paul eliminate particularity for Israel and the land in his portrayal of salvation available for all the world?
In contrast to N.T. Wright, Rudolph argues that Paul does not eliminate particularity.
- Gifts of Israel
- Uniqueness of Israel
- Calling of Israel
- Confirmation of Israel’s promises
- Irrevocability of Israel’s election.