Christian Zionism: Road-Map to Armageddon? (Paperback)

~ Stephen R. Sizer (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The term "Zionism" was first coined in the late nineteenth century, and referred to the movement for the return of the Jewish people to an assured and secure homeland in Palestine. Ironically, this vision was largely nurtured and shaped by Christians long before it received widespread Jewish support. The origins of "Christian Zionism" lie within nineteenth-century British premillennial sectarianism, but by the early twentieth century it had become a predominantly American dispensational movement, and pervasive within all main evangelical denominations. The contemporary Christian Zionism movement emerged after the "Six Day War" in Israel in 1967, and it has had a significant influence on attitudes towards the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Middle East. Evangelicals are increasingly polarized over whether Christian Zionism is biblical and orthodox or unbiblical and cultic. In this book Stephen Sizer provides a thorough examination of the historical development, variant forms, theological emphases and political implications of Christian Zionism. His excellent and informative survey is interwoven with critical assessment that repudiates both nationalistic Zionism and anti-Semitism. Features & Benefits

* Addresses the debate over Christian Zionism

* Traces historical development of the idea

* Describes theological emphases and variations

* Highlights political implications

* Repudiates both nationalistic Zionism and anti-Semitism

About the Author

Stephen Sizer is the vicar of Christ Church, Virginia Water, Surrey (England) and a visiting lecturer at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, and various other seminaries and theological colleges in the United States, Britain and the Middle East. He is chairman of the International Bible Society UK and a director and trustee of the Amos Trust, Friends of Sabeel and Highway Projects. Sizer is the author of Panorama of the Bible Lands and In the Footsteps of Jesus and the Apostles. He has written extensively on the Church in the Middle East, on the ethics of pilgrimages, on dispensationalism and on Christian Zionism. He is a frequent visitor to the Middle East.

Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: InterVarsity Press (December 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830853685
• ISBN-13: 978-0830853687
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #440,577 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Discussion of Bad Theology Leading to Terrible Consequences, January 5, 2006

By	Holger Sonntag (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As I am writing this (1-5-06), the Rev. Pat Robertson has linked the grave disease of PM A. Sharon to the fact that Sharon tried to "divide" the Holy Land given, in Robertson's view, to the modern people of Israel exclusively.

Robertson is notorious for his Christian Zionist position that believes that the Old Testament promises of land to Israel still hold today. He is a "restorationist" who believes that the year 1948, when the modern nation of Israel was established in Palestine, is a rather important date in world history. Already when Y. Rabin was assassinated, Robertson saw "God's hand" involved there too.

Sizer, a student of Palestine and minister of the Church of England, does an excellent job in tracing the theological, historical, institutional, and political backgrounds of the likes of Robertson and J. Falwell. He also offers some helpful theological critique of the underlying theological views.

Astonishingly, "Christian Zionists" in Britain and especially America abound, ever since its tenets were popularized by the infamous Scofield Reference Bible. This is true not just for many an Evangelical congregation; various leading 20th-century British and American politicians have been sympathetic to this type of "philo-Judaism". In fact, as Sizer shows, the existence of the state of Israel today would be unthinkable without the inspiration and support of Christian Zionists in Britain and America.

All in all, Sizer's book is an important contribution to understanding the ongoing Near East conflict, as it sheds light on a area that usually does not make headline-news. Five stars are fully warranted.

43 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic, well researched book., June 25, 2006

By	Mort Coyle (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Sizer has written a thorough and very readable overview of the Christian Zionist movement. After an introduction which defines both Zionism and Christian Zionism, the book is broken into three sections:

The first explores the historical roots of Christian Zionism beginning with the "proto-Zionism" of the 1700's. I was particularly fascinated to learn about the role that the Napoleonic Wars played in the seeds of Christian Zionism. Sizer goes on to delineate the birth and development of Dispensationalism; which was initially viewed as a novel and peculiar form of eschatology but has become widespread in the U.S. over the last 200 years and has served as the springboard for the Christian Zionist movement. Sizer methodically traces the trajectory of Dispensationalism from Irving to Darby to Scofield to Lindsay (and points in-between) and does an excellent job of explaining the relationships between the various forms of Dispensationalism and Zionism.

The second section of the book explores the theology behind Christian Zionism. Sizer begins by explaining the "literal futurist hermeneutic" (in other words, method of study) which is the fountainhead from which Dispensationalism/Zionism springs. I thoroughly enjoyed this section of the book as Sizer examined Zionist theological views about the relationship between the Jewish people and the Christian church, the return of Jews to Israel, the status of Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the temple, etc.

The third section looks at the political implications of Christian Zionism. This was the most sobering and chilling part of the book.

The book ends by setting forth a series of conclusions based on the material covered in the preceding sections.

Sizer's writing style is no-nonsense and free of hype. Although he is obviously a scholar and provides copious footnotes, the book is very accessable and at under 300 pages is a quick read.

I am a Christian who is actively involved in ministry and have gradually come to reject the "Left Behind" Dispensational theology that trickled down to me through the 700 Club, TBN, Calvary Chapel, etc. There are so many people that I wish I could get this book into the hands of and convince them to read it with an open mind and heart.

I have a fairly extensive library of Christian/theological books and this one will be located in a place where I can easily access it because I expect to be referencing it over and over again.

30 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book!, May 2, 2006

By	Gedjalek (Pittsburgh) - See all my reviews

It was very refreshing to see that others are finally picking up on something that I have been trying to explain to people about for years.

Sizer puts it in easy to understand terms and presents it very well. I will refer friends to Sizer's book now rather than try to explain these ideas to people from now on.

It is so hard to get people to open their minds to these truths after they have been bombarded for so many years by the sadly unscriptural beliefs of authors like Tim Lahaye and Hal Lindsey.

I thank you Stephen Sizer!