Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom
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- This article is about the role of Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom in the 21st century.
- For the history of Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom predating the 21st century see Christian Zionism and Dispensationalism
The role of Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom in the 21st century, as opposed to the history of the beginning of the movement in Britain under Christian Zionism and Dispensationalism, is little known outside of the movement itself. It is a subsection of the Christian right in Britain.[dubious ]
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[edit] Comments on Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom
In Defending Christian Zionism (2008), David Pawson, puts forward the case that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land is a fulfilment of scriptural prophecy, and that Christians should support the existence of the Jewish State (although not unconditionally its actions) on theological grounds. He also argues that prophecies spoken about Israel relate specifically to Israel (not to the church, as in "replacement theology"). However, he criticises Dispensationalism, which he says is a largely American movement holding similar views. Pawson was spurred to write this book by the work of Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer, an evangelical Christian who rejects Christian Zionism.[1]. Stephen Sizer states that "Contemporary British Christian leaders such as Derek Prince, David Pawson, Lance Lambert, Walter Riggans, along with Americans like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Hal Lindsey, Mike Evans, Charles Dyer and John Walvoord, have a considerable influence in popularising an apocalyptic premillennial eschatology and Zionist vision on the British Evangelical scene in particular."
In 2008 Ravender Singh Sembhy wrote in the left wing London Progressive Journal that "A commonly held belief is that certain popular trends in American culture almost always find their way to the UK. But one seldom hears of religious trends being exported across the Atlantic. Is this about to change? Will the recent surge in pro-Zionist Evangelical Christianity in America’s mid-west, the ‘Bible Belt’, filter into the UK too? Last year a new forum, initiated by the UK based Exploits Ministry[2], took place in London to revive Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom and was attended by a range of organisations – both Christian and Jewish."[2]
Christian Zionism has its roots in Britain.
Etgar Lefkovits wrote in 2007 in the Jerusalem Post that "Attempting to stem the tide of rising Islamic fundamentalism in Europe, a group of British evangelical leaders hosted a conference in London (Jerusalem Summit Europe[3]) on Sunday seeking to rekindle the faded force of Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom."[3]
The Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer states that "Contemporary British Christian leaders such as Derek Prince, David Pawson, Lance Lambert, Walter Riggans, along with Americans like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Hal Lindsey, Mike Evans, Charles Dyer and John Walvoord, have a considerable influence in popularising an apocalyptic premillennial eschatology and Zionist vision on the British Evangelical scene in particular."[4]
Documentaries that cover this subject deeply for Britain include Dispatches: In God's Name by Channel 4 and Balfour to Blair by Al Jazeera.
Christian Zionism is not to be confused with British Israelism or Christian Identity.
[edit] Organisations
Prominent Christian Zionist organisations in Britain are Christian Friends of Israel, UK, the Church's Ministry Among Jewish People (The Israel Trust of the Anglican Church), the Exploits Ministry, Intercessors For Britain (IFB), "Prayer Friends of Israel" (PFI), Derek Prince Ministries, the Beit Yeshua, North East Messianic Fellowship, Bridges of Peace[4], C L Ministries[5], Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary[www.marysisters.freeserve.co.uk.], Hatikvah Film Trust, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, UK[6], Messianic (Christian) Educational Trust, Paul Heyman International Ministries.Revelation TV[7], the Israel Britain Evangelistic Association[8] and Christian Zionists for Israel UK[9].
Geoffrey Smith, director Christian Friends of Israel, UK states that "There are at least twenty Christian ministries which might be categorised as Christian Zionist in the UK and they form a loose alliance called Love Never Fails[10] with its own website."[5]
[edit] References
- Pawson, David Defending Christian Zionism Terra Nova Publications International Ltd April 2008 ISBN 978-1901949629
- The Historical Roots of Christian Zionism from Irving to Balfour: Christian Zionism in the United Kingdom (1820–1918) by Stephen Sizer - from the book 'Challenging Christian Zionism: Theology, Politics and the Israel-Palestine Conflict'[11]
[edit] Notes
- ^ A debate can be heard between the two on Pawson/Sizer debate
- ^ In Depth: Christian Zionism, London Progressive Journal, Issue 1, 11th to 17th January 2008 [1]
- ^ UK forum promotes Christian Zionism, Jerusalem Post, January 28 2007
- ^ http://www.cc-vw.org/articles/defendingchristianzionism.htm
- ^ Personal email correspondance, 03 October 2008
[edit] External links
[edit] Articles
- UK forum promotes Christian Zionism - Jerusalem Post
- Christian Zionism: A British Perspective by The Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer (with footnotes here)
- A Response to Stephen Sizer's criticisms of CMJ and ITAC by Tony Higton, former General Director of CMJ
- In Depth: Christian Zionism in Britain by Ravender Singh Sembhy
[edit] Video
[edit] See also
- Restoration of the Jews to the Holy Land
- Left Behind (series)
- Christian eschatology
- Christian Zionism
- Zionism
- Christianity and Judaism
- Bible prophecy
- Christian right
- Dispensationalism
