In a recent Public Discourse essay, Professor Gerald R. McDermott offers summaries of “fresh theological arguments for Zionism.” I would like to respond to these proposals and explain why I do not believe they succeed.
McDermott draws two very important distinctions in his article. First, he distances the ideas he advances from the tendency of some Christian Zionists to engage in date-setting with regard to the Second Coming (see, for example, the recent book by John Hagee, Four Blood Moons: Something Is About to Change). Second, he distinguishes the form of Zionism he supports from carte blanche support for the present state of Israel. These caveats are very important in light of the unconditional support given to the present Israeli government by some Christian Zionists because of their belief that the Apocalypse is imminent.
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