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'''Christian Zionism''' is the theoretical support of Christians for the return of Jews to Israel, as well as practical support for Israel. For the Jews, see [[Zionism]]
'''Christian Zionism''' is Christian movement that supports the return of Jews to Israel, as well as support for Israel. It is a common view among American Evangelicals. Pastor John Hagee of Christians United for Israel, televangelist Jack Van Impe, and Jerry Falwell are prominent in the movement.
Christian Zionism has its roots in the Purtianism of Cromwell's England. In America, the movement was popularized by the book ''Jesus is Coming'' (1878), a [[Dispensationalism|Dispensationalist]] account by William E. Blackstone. ''The Scofield Reference Bible'' (1917) by Cyrus I. Scofield also played a crucial role in popularizing this viewpoint. The Moral Majority, founded by Jerry Falwell in 1979, turned fundamentalists into a political pressure group.
==History==
==History==
The restoration of the Jews to the holy land is a theme in the writings of various Protestant denominations, notably the Puritans. There was burst of Zionist activity in the 1650s, when Cromwell and the Puritans ruled England.<ref>"Of such a kind was the project elaborated in England about 1654, an account of which is contained in the Egerton collection of manuscripts in the British Museum. This account is entitled "Privileges Granted to the People of the Hebrew Nation That Are to Goe to the Wilde Cust," and, according to Lucien Wolf, has reference to a Jewish settlement in Surinam. Such colonies as these with far-reaching administrative rights had been established in Curaçao in 1652 under the authority of the Dutch West India Company, and in 1659 in Cayenne by the French West India Company ("Tr. Jew. Hist. Soc. Eng." iii. 82)." ("[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/15268-zionism#anchor33 Zionism]", ''Jewish Encyclopedia'', 1906)</ref>
The restoration of the Jews to the holy land is a theme in the writings of various Protestant denominations, notably the Puritans. There was burst of Zionist activity in the 1650s, when Cromwell and the Puritans ruled England.<ref>"Of such a kind was the project elaborated in England about 1654, an account of which is contained in the Egerton collection of manuscripts in the British Museum. This account is entitled "Privileges Granted to the People of the Hebrew Nation That Are to Goe to the Wilde Cust," and, according to Lucien Wolf, has reference to a Jewish settlement in Surinam. Such colonies as these with far-reaching administrative rights had been established in Curaçao in 1652 under the authority of the Dutch West India Company, and in 1659 in Cayenne by the French West India Company ("Tr. Jew. Hist. Soc. Eng." iii. 82)." ("[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/15268-zionism#anchor33 Zionism]", ''Jewish Encyclopedia'', 1906)</ref>
Various writers interpreted the career of Napoleon in light of Biblical prophesy, leading to a revival of interest in the subject.<ref>Ezra Sargeant, ''The Identity of Napoleon and Antichrist Completely Demonstrated, Or, A Commentary on the Chapters of the Scripture which Relate to Antichrist: Where All the Passages are Shown to Apply to Napoleon in the Most Striking Manner : and where Especially the Prophetic Number 666 is Found in His Name, with Perfect Exactness, in Two Different Manners'', 1809.</ref> As a movement, Christian Zionism can be traced back to Scottish clergyman Edward Irving and the Albury conferences of 1826 to 1830. These conferences focused on interpreting current political and social events in light of prophesy. They were held at Albury Park, the estate of Henry Drummond, in Surrey, England. They were followed up by the Powerscourt Conferences of 1831 to 1833. These were held in Ireland and led by John Nelson Darby.
Various writers interpreted the career of Napoleon in light of Biblical prophesy, leading to a revival of interest in the subject.<ref>Ezra Sargeant, ''The Identity of Napoleon and Antichrist Completely Demonstrated, Or, A Commentary on the Chapters of the Scripture which Relate to Antichrist: Where All the Passages are Shown to Apply to Napoleon in the Most Striking Manner : and where Especially the Prophetic Number 666 is Found in His Name, with Perfect Exactness, in Two Different Manners'', 1809.</ref> As a movement, Christian Zionism can be traced back to Scottish clergyman Edward Irving and the Albury conferences of 1826 to 1830. These conferences focused on interpreting current political and social events in light of prophesy. They were held at Albury Park, the estate of Henry Drummond, in Surrey, England. They were followed up by the Powerscourt Conferences of 1831 to 1833. These were held in Ireland and were led by John Nelson Darby.
In America, Christian Zionism was popularized by the book ''Jesus is Coming'' (1878), a Dispensationalist account by William E. Blackstone. The book was hugely popular and made Christian Zionism a prominent even before the modern Jewish Zionist movement appeared. (Jewish Zionism can be traced back to the First Aliyah of 1882 to 1903.) In 1917, ''The Scofield Reference Bible'' by Cyrus I. Scofield was published. This is perhaps the most influential Zionist work.
One specific Christian restoration plan was Laurence Oliphant's 1882 "Gilead Plan" for a large Jewish colony under British auspices in eastern Palestine. The Christian proposals seem to have had little coordination with or influence on the Jewish plans.
From the early 1940s to the late 1960s American theologian [[Reinhold Niebuhr]] was the most eloquent of American Christian Zionists.
From the early 1940s to the late 1960s American theologian [[Reinhold Niebuhr]] was the most eloquent of American Christian Zionists.