A thorough discussion of Christian views about Israel

books:

	• Future Israel: Why Christian Anti-Judaism Must Be Challenged (New American Commentary Studies in Bible and ... Barry E. Horner B&H Academic, 2007 - 400 pages average customer review:based on 7 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Future Israel is a must read for all Christians

This work is scholarly and practical. It is a thorough critique on a subject that is of supreme importance. Excellent research material regardless of one's eschatological convictions!

A sober and welcome addition to theology shelves.

Written by Barry E. Horner (M.Div., Western Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary), Future Israel: Why Christian Anti-Judaism Must Be Challenged is a sharp criticism of "supercessionist theology" - the viewpoint that the Christian church has replaced or superseded Israel in God's redemptive plan. Taking a stand against Christian Anti-Judaic hermeneutics throughout history and those used in the modern day, Horner reveals that anti-Judaism has a negative effect on both the church and on Jewish evangelism. At the same time, Horner advocates the biblical prophecy of a restored nation of Israel under the acknowledged messiah of Jesus Christ, and examines a Judeo-centric eschatology as a unifying connection. "It may not sit well with those who staunchly identify themselves as Protestants, nevertheless it remains true at the present that for all of its departure from the essential truth of the Bible, the Roman Catholic Church has more recently evidenced certain changes with regard to appreciation of the Jews and Judaism, however imperfectly and of debatable motivation, than those who glory in a Reformed heritage." Future Israel is the third volume in the New American Commentary Studies in Bible & Theology series, and worthy of the pedigree. A sober and welcome addition to theology shelves.

for more information click here

A thorough discussion of Christian views about Israel

The State of Israel has a political problem: many people want to destroy it and are teaching their children that it would be a good idea to destroy it. And some of this antipathy to Israel is religious in nature, as Barry Horner shows in this fine book.

There is a review of some of the foundations of Christian anti-Zionism, including the works of Tertullian, Saint Augustine and Saint John Chrysostom. In more recent times, we see that John Calvin was no friend of the Jews, although Martin Luther was surely far worse. As a matter of fact, one of the few Saints who showed no special animus towards the Jews was Anselm.

We read about some of the expulsions of Jews in Europe. England expelled its Jews in 1290 and Jews were not permitted to return until the time of Oliver Cromwell, in the seventeenth century. Jews were expelled from France in 1306 and 1394, and from Spain in 1492. Some of these Jews fled to Portugal, only to be expelled from there. And, of course, there was anti-Semitism in Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. There still is.

Next, we see some examples of contemporary anti-Judaism in the United States: Albertus Pieters, Loraine Boettner, Gary Burge, Donald Wagner and O. Palmer Robertson. And there are some corresponding examples of anti-Judaism in the United Kingdom: Colin Chapman, N. T. Wright, Stephen Sizer, Steve Motyer, Peter Walker, and Kenneth Cragg.

Horner also refers to James Parkes, who quite properly explained that the Balfour Declaration did not give Levantine land to the Jews: it simply recognized a historic right of Jews to be in that land (and rejected any claim by Arabs to have a sole right to live there).

There is some interesting material about Theodore Herzl, including an account of his meeting with the Pope (the Pope said the Church would assist neither religious nor secular Jews in returning to the land of Israel). And there's some interesting history of the early portion of the British Mandate: "by 1930, 57% of Jewish land holdings had been either swamp land or never before been cultivated." And we also see Britain's shameful behavior in 1935 to 1948, in the final years of the Mandate.

Horner very helpfully tells us about the excellent work of Bat Ye'or, which may give some perspective to what Chapman, Sizer, and others have to say.

Much of this book dealt with detailed theological topics that I, as a Pagan, found uninteresting. But I was intrigued by the extent to which many opponents of Israel used Biblical sources as an obvious excuse to attack Israel, often in a particularly hypocritical manner. And, of course, a major question for me has not been what excuses people have used to oppose human rights for Jews, but the extent to which they have done so. Some visitors to the Levant in 1839, Bonar and M'Cheyne, are quoted as saying that "the professing Christians here - Greeks, Armenians, and Roman Catholics - are even more bitter enemies to Jews than Mahometans; so that in time of danger, a Jew would betake himself to the house of a Turk for refuge, in preference to that of a Christian." This seems to me to explain a little of the attitude of Levantine Christians such as Naim Ateek (and many others) today.

There are five interesting appendices. We see discussions of the future of Israel and Jonathan Edwards and J. C. Ryle. There is an article by Samuel Hinds Wilkinson (a reply to "The Hope of Israel" by Philip Mauro). And there is a fine article by Melanie Phillips, from 2002, on replacement theology and anti-Judaism. The final appendix is an excellent annotated bibliography on Jewish-Christian relations in Church history (although I might have wanted to add a few books, such as Paul Merkley's "Christian Attitudes towards the State of Israel").

I recommend this book.

for more information click here

A pearl of great prize

This extraordinary work superbly exposes Christian Antisemitism (although the author politely employs the term "Anti-Judaism"), relating the history of gentile usurpation of the heritage of the Jewish people, how this mindset became popular with Augustine's amillennialism and how reformers like Luther and Calvin accepted the doctrine of supercessionism or replacement theology and how it has persisted in Reformed theology up to the present day. Jewish Christians are given a voice and the author holds the attitude of the Apostle Paul up as an example, in particular his love for Israel as expressed in the letter to the Romans chapters 9 to 11.

In essence, the book seeks answers from scripture on whether Israel as a distinct nation in its own land has a future according to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Those who learn from history already know the answer, based on the country's miraculous rebirth in 1948 and its survival against overwhelming odds in a neighborhood of unspeakable evil. The aforementioned question is not a mere academic issue. There are those who still hold to the doctrine of supercessionism/replacement theology, often in a veiled form. They are contributing to the spread of the new Antisemitism as recorded by Phyllis Chesler and by Bernard Harrison in his book The Resurgence of Anti-Semitism.

Horner's scholarly investigation is excruciatingly detailed and steeped in the terminology of Reformed theology so that the lay reader may find it hard going in certain parts, but overall it is accessible to the persistent. He writes in a spirit of humility and seems to bend backwards to accept the bona fides of contemporary Christian Antisemites when pointing out their errors. Often I find his style too polite, even when he demonstrates the indifference, antagonism and spiteful attitude of the aforementioned to the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Only once, he exclaims with exasperation: "Are we talking of the same God here?"

Chapter One contrasts the attitudes of Augustine and Calvin with those of the Philosemitic Horatius Bonar and Charles Spurgeon, Chapter Two dissects the centuries of Christian Anti-Judaism from the early period through the reformation to the 21st century, and the next looks at Christian Anti-Judaism in the USA with reference to people like Gary Burge, O Palmer Robertson and provides a reply to the arrogant Open Letter To Evangelicals issued by Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale.

Anti-Judaism in the UK is discussed in Chapter Four, with particular reference to the dhimmi writers Colin Chapman and Stephen Sizer, whilst the next one provides an overview of the history of Zionism - including the Christian variety - and the rebirth of the state of Israel. More information on the history of Christian Zionism is available in the books Standing With Israel by David Brog and The Politics of Christian Zionism 1891-1948 by Paul Charles Merkley. Chapters Seven and Eight look at the hermeneutics of Christian Anti-Judaism in Catholicism and the Reformed tradition plus the doctrine/s of a-, post- and premillennialism.

The next three chapters deal respectively with Israel and the harmony of spiritual materiality, Israel as heir to the land through Abraham and Israel in a synthesis with Romans 11. The penultimate chapter explores Israel as God's "beloved enemy" from the expression in Romans 11:28 and the last one is devoted to Israel as needing the love of the prodigal Gentile with reference to inter alia Romans 11 and the analogy of Ruth and Orpah. In this regard, see the little book Ruth & Esther: Shadows of Our Future by Frank Morgan.

This book is too vast and provides too many insights to discuss in one review. Most important for me is Horner's exposure of the style of the Anti-Israel theologians of which many examples are given. It is filled with a barely concealed malice and a pejorative tone, completely lacking the supposedly Christian virtues of love and charity. Post-Holocaust this is almost completely incomprehensible if one is unaware of the long history of such ideas entrenched in church history.

The hostility to Israel of some mainstream denominations and the World Council of Churches is well documented in Christian Attitudes Towards the State of Israel by Paul Merkley. In this regard, it is interesting to note the association of Anti-Zionist authors like Colin Chapman and Stephen Sizer with Naim Ateek of the Sabeel Ecumenical Centre. And this in a time when Christians are fleeing the Palestinian territories! Bethlehem was once an overwhelmingly Christian town but these are abandoning it on account of Muslim oppression.

The appendices alone are worth the price of the book. They include writings on the future of Israel by Jonathan Edwards and by J C Ryle, a consideration of law or grace in God's dealings with Israel, a brilliant and thought-provoking essay by Melanie Phillips, the UK author of Londonistan, on Replacement Theology, and a valuable annotated bibliography on Jewish-Christian Relations. This highly appreciated book concludes with a bibliography and index.

Especially in view of the resurgence of Antisemitism, true Christians cannot remain indifferent about the issues raised by Horner. Further information is available in these works that I highly recommend: God's Promise and the Future of Israel by Don Finto, Why Care about Israel? by Sandra Teplinsky and The Irrevocable Calling: Israel's Role as a Light to the Nations by Daniel Juster. Finally, what resonates most strongly with me in Future Israel is the author's unconditional love not for a Jewish Christian "remnant" but for the entire Jewish people, both those in the Diaspora and those in the Holy Land. God bless him.

for more information click here

reviews: page 1, 2

Future Israel: Why Christian Anti-Judaism Must Be Challenged is volume three in the NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY STUDIES IN BIBLE & THEOLOGY (NACSBT) series for pastors, advanced Bible students, and other deeply committed laypersons.

Author Barry E. Horner writes to persuade readers concerning the divine validity of the Jew today (based on Romans 11:28), as well as the nation of Israel and the land of Palestine, in the midst of this much debated issue within Christendom at various levels. He examines the Bible's consistent pro-Judaic direction, namely a Judeo-centric eschatology that is a unifying feature throughout Scripture.

Not sensationalist like many other writings on this constantly debated topic, Future Israel is instead notably exegetical and theological in its argumentation. Users will find this an excellent extension of the long respected NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY.

for more information click here

hot or not? What's your opinion? Write a review and share your thoughts!

recommendations

Christian Antisemitism: suicidal pathology of the West
Books & Music for Believers
Deprogramming Jimmy Carter
NOTZRIM YEDIDI YISRAEL
Christian Zionism

challenged

Never Be Late Again: 7 Cures for the Punctually Challenged
Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs, and Declarations of ...
There's a Boy in Here
The Elephant in the Playroom: Ordinary Parents Write Intimately and ...
My Friend with Autism: A Coloring Book for Peers and Siblings

commentary

The Message of the Qur'an
He Still Moves Stones
The Daily Bible
The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within ...
The Prophet

christian

The Normal Christian Life
Letter to a Christian Nation (Vintage)
Red Letter Christians: A Citizen's Guide to Faith and Politics
Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile
Documents of the Christian Church

search for books
why christian, american, anti-judaism, challenged, christian, commentary, studies, theology

Impressum / about us