| Submitted to Program Units |
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| 1: Theological, Pedagogical, and Ethical Approaches to Israel/Palestine Seminar |
International and Discursive Approaches to Christian Zionism
Chair: Gary M. Burge
Presenter: Erica Ramirez
Title: Christian Internationalism: How Charismatic Apostle-Preachers Shape Geopolitics
Abstract: This paper charts a transnational evangelical Zionist network that connects US and Brazilian preachers and demonstrates their shared vision for a world order that prioritizes Israel, first. In addition to preaching rhetoric, the churches in this network participate in material cultures (books, songs, clothing sold at conferences) that reinforce their affinities with "Judeo-Christian" nations. Comparative analysis of these Brazilian and US megachurches (which share the network) suggests their political powers are not yet fully developed and are, instead, becoming more potent in their respective regions-- with strong implications for international politics.
Presenter: Aaron Woods
Title: Assessing the “New Christian Zionism”
Abstract: Gerald McDermott has been identified as the founder of The New Christian Zionism movement. He describes biblical witness as the heart of their theological project. However, McDermott's attempt to root Christian Zionism in the Old and New Testament is a deeply flawed and problematic endeavor and fails to take into account the biblical tradition of diaspora. The Biblical witness certainly holds Jerusalem and the Promised Land in prominent positions. For Christians, however, as a scattered diasporic people, all lands are holy, all people are made in God’s image, and all nations/empires are suspect and undeserving of our allegiance.
Presenter: Brooke Baker
Title: Vicissitudes in Twenty-First Century Christian Zionist Discourse: Disrupting Dichotomy and the Global Turn
Abstract: The second decade of the twenty-first century saw a marked shift in mainstream Christian Zionist discourse, in which previously ubiquitous dichotomizing language around East and West, Islam and Judeo-Christianity was tempered, and even at times reversed with the aim of appealing to the sensibilities of younger evangelicals. The implications of this shift are significant for the spread of Christian Zionism globally, as this new discourse interacts with existing discourses of liberation theology in the Global South. This research outlines the contours of Christian Zionism's recent discursive shift, and begins to address questions related to its globalization.
Presenter: Chauncey Diego Francisco Handy
Title: Christian Zionism: Essentializing the Multifarious Biblical Representations of Israel
Abstract: Christian Zionism reduces the biblical category of "Israel" to a monolithic representation in spite of a variety of fundamentally contrasting portrayals of Israel throughout the Christian canon. As a hermeneutic, this approach fundamentally disregards the texts it seeks to represent. Its effort to conflate all instantiations of Israel into the State of Israel flattens the nature of the biblical canon as a multivalent discourse on the nature of "Israel" with respect to Jewish communities through history.
Presenter: Robert O. Smith
Title: Charting the Challenge of Christian Zionism
Abstract: This presentation will explore the history of critical responses to the phenomenon now commonly called Christian Zionism. The First Intifada (1987–1993) is identified as a turning-point for academic and theological assessments of the movement, which by then had been established as a component of mainstream global evangelical Christianity. The presentation identifies discursive shifts in critical assessments of Christian Zionism, elevating the topic from polemical condemnation to academic analysis and assessment. This process has established Christian Zionism as an important site of academic activity, indicating the need for ongoing, sustained engagement.
Abstract for Online Program Book (maximum 150 words)
Christian Zionism has become a vital topic for academic engagement in both Religious Studies and Biblical Studies. This transdisciplinary discussion among both AAR and SBL members will start with short presentations on their respective areas of critical engagement and then seek to determine the state of their fields' conversations on the topic. Over the past decade, discourse surrounding Christian Zionism has changed drastically, especially within the academy, even as the movement itself has changed and adapted to new conditions. Join us for an exciting, critical assessment not only of the movement but of the ways it is understood and discussed within teaching, learning, and research environments.