What is Christian Zionism and Why Does it Matter?
What is Zionism? Is there a difference between Christian Zionism and Jewish Zionism? Are there different kinds of Christian Zionism? Are there different kinds of Jewish Zionism? Are all Jews Zionists? Are Christians obliged to be Zionists, as some have said? Are Christians obliged to not be Zionists, as others have said? Is “anti-Zionism” antisemitic? What positions have been taken by the Presbyterian Church (USA) about all of this over the years? And why might all of this matter today?
We’ll explore these questions through a brief presentation, comments from panelists, and a time of questions and responses. This ‘lunch and learn’ opportunity is being led by PCUSA pastors and scholars who are part of the Presbyterian Advisory Council of Churches for Middle East Peace (cmep.org). They are in Louisville this weekend offering programs for Louisville Seminary and the Mid-Kentucky Presbytery.
Presenter: Wes Avram is Emeritus Senior Pastor of Pinnacle Presbyterian Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Academic Engagement Advisor for Churches for Middle East Peace. He has been actively engaged with these questions for over 40 years, both in the U.S. and in Israel/Palestine. Formerly Clement-Muehl Assistant Prof of Communication at Yale Divinity School, he is editor of Anxious About Empire: Theological Reflections on the New Global Realities.
Panelists:
- Hunter Farrell, Senior Teaching Fellow and Dir of World Mission Initiative at Pittsburgh Theo Seminary. Former Dir of Presbyterian World Mission.
- Dhawn Martin, Asst. Professor of Theology at LPTS. Formerly Manager of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy for the PCUSA and served as Director of the Center for Adult Education at University Presbyterian, San Antonio
- Mark Lewis Taylor, Emeritus Maxwell M. Upson Professor of Theology and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary. His book, The Executed God: The Way of the Cross in Lockdown American is in its second edition.
- Ron Shive, Retired PCUSA pastor, most recently serving First Presbyterian, Burlington, North Carolina. He is the Co-Moderator of Palestinian Justice Network in the PCUSA and Convener for the Presbyterian Advisory Council for Churches for Middle Eeast Pace.