2025/07/30 by Yaakov Ariel · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Anthropological Studies and Insights #Biblical Studies and Interpretation #Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies
paper · doi:10.1080/09637494.2025.2493466
openalex publication_date 2025/07/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/14
This contribution offers an historical and theological background to the contemporary Christian Zionist movement. It unearths the historical and theological roots of Christian Zionism. It explores the biblical and Messianic faith that has motivated Christian Zionists and the cultural, religious and political environments that have given rise to early Christian Zionist ideas and activities. It highlights groups and thinkers that played a pivotal role in the development of Christian Zionism but are often overlooked in contemporary research. The essay starts with the early history of Christian Zionism in the Early Modern era when Protestant theologians and ministers, especially Reformed and Pietists, took interest in the Jews and the prospect of their return to Palestine as part of the events of the End Times. By the nineteenth century they were joined by evangelical Christians, who in the twentieth century had become the largest group within Christian Zionism, turning it into a global movement.