More Desired than Our Owne Salvation

Millions of American Christians see U.S. support for the State of Israel as a God-ordained responsibility. Millions more see the ''special relationship'' between the two countries as a bond that should never be challenged, much less broken. Robert O. Smith provides an in-depth look at the English Protestant tradition of Judeo-centric prophecy interpretation at the heart of this popular affinity.

In 2006, John Hagee founded Christians United for Israel. Several high-level policymakers, both Christians and Jews, flocked to endorse the effort. Soon, however, questions rose about apparently anti-Catholic and anti-Islamic ideas contained in Hagee's preaching and writing. More Desired Than Our Owne Salvation explores the content of Christian Zionist attitudes, their resonance in popular American culture, and the history of the ideas that have contributed to present realities. After discussing polling data and exploring how Black Protestant views clarify general American attitudes, Smith revisits sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Protestant interpretations of scripture and history. The Pope and the Turk figured significantly, identified by both Luther and Calvin as the two heads of the Antichrist. Protestant exiles from England carried these ideas back to Elizabethan England, provided a nationalist twist, and set Anglo-American history on a new path.

The resulting English Protestant tradition of Judeo-centric prophecy interpretation shaped Puritan identity, which was then transferred to New England, where it began informing the foundations of American vocation and self-understanding. Through its developments and adaptations, this Judeo-centric tradition provided English colonists and Anglo Americans with purpose and vision. When the State of Israel was founded in 1948, many Americans readily welcomed it as a prophetic counterpart, a country whose preservation ''may be more desired then our owne salvation.''

The Roots of Christian Zionism

"offers readers a deeper understanding of Christian Zionism"

—Caitlin Carenen, American Historical Review

Comprehending Christian Zionism

The issue of Christian Zionism is one that is fiercely debated within theology, the church, politics, and society. Comprehending Christian Zionism brings together an international consortium of scholars and researchers to reflect on the network of issues and topics surrounding this critical subject. The volume provides a lens on the history of Zionism within Christian theology and offers a constructive, multidimensional path for assessment and introspection around the meaning of Zionism to Christian faith and practice.

Contents

1. Christian Zionism in Contemporary Perspective—Göran Gunner
2. Saying ‘Peace’ When There is No Peace—Elizabeth Phillips
3. "A fool for Christ"—Aron Engberg
4. Broadcasting Jesus’ Return—Matt Westbrook
5. Walking in the Mantle of Esther: "Political" Action as "Religious" Practice—Sean Durbin
6. Christian Zionism at Jerusalem Church in Copán Ruinas, Honduras, an “Out-of-the-Way” Place—William Girard
7. Christian Zionist Pilgrimage in the Twenty-First Century—Curtis Hutt
8. Living in the Hour of Restoration—Faydra L. Shapiro
9. Christian Zionism and Main Line Western Christian Churches—Rosemary Radford Ruether
10. Palestinian Christian Reflections on Christian Zionism—Mitri Raheb
11. From the Institutum Judaicum to the International Christian Embassy—Yaakov Ariel
12. Mischief Making in Palestine—Mae Elise Cannon
13. Israelis, Israelites, and God’s Hand in History—Timo R. Stewart
14. The Rise of Hitler, Zion, and the Tribulation—Gershon Greenberg
15. Inverting the Eagle to Embrace the Star of David—George Faithful
16. Conclusion—Robert O. Smith

Perspectives in Comparison

Editors: Göran Gunner and Robert O. Smith