Christian Zionism: Do I support Israel?

Throughout the twentieth and the twenty-first centuries, we have witnessed a number of Christian individuals and collective entities that have a "pro-Israel" mindset.  These Christians tend to support the present State of Israel on the basis that they are considered to be "God's chosen people."  This concept being of "chosen" is what drives many sincere and well-meaning Christians to lend their support to the present governmental and political entity which calls itself  "Israel."  They believe that by supporting Israel, that they are acting in accordance with God's plan for Israel and for the world as a whole.

This writer has a different take on the issue.  Let me begin, however, by attempting to put things into proper biblical and historical perspective.  There is no intent, whatsoever, on my part to speak against Judaism, and for that matter, against any religion.  I have respect for people of all religious traditions.  Furthermore, the Hebrew/Jewish faith is the parent faith of my own faith, i.e. the Christian faith, and it would then, be not only blasphemous, but also preposterous to speak against the Jewish faith.

In a biblical/theological perspective, the term "Israel" refers to the biological descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  It was to these individuals and their descendants that Yahweh God promised the land of Canaan. In the Christian Scriptures (New Testament), the Apostle Paul, in his letters to the Roman and Galatian Churches states that those promises are now passed on those who whether Gentile or Jew, profess Jesus the Christ (the Yeshua Hamasiach of Israel) as Lord and Savior.  He states that the Gentiles who embrace Christ are now "ingrafted" into and made recipients of those promises.  He is not advocating for what some present-day Christians call "replacement theology," but rather a theology of incorporation, a theology which includes Gentiles by virtue of faith, in those promises that were made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the patriarchs of the Hebrew/Jewish nation and faith.

One of the many reasons why Christians support Zionism is because Zionism, since its inception as a movement in the 1800's, under the influence and leadership of Theodore Herzl, emphasized a "homeland" for the Jews.  Many Christians tend to take that as a fulfillment of the divine promise that Israel would return to her land.  They do not realize that those promises of returning had absolutely nothing to do with the Zionist movement or with what happened in 1948 with the establishment of the modern-state of Israel.  Those promises, which included the rebuilding of the Temple, were fulfilled when the Jewish people returned from their exile in Babylon.  After that, there is never any mention in Scripture, about promises for a future restoration of national Israel.  Jerusalem was destroyed in the year 70 C.E. (or A.D., depending on one's historical frame of reference) and the Jews (Abraham's biological descendants) were scattered throughout different lands and nations, including, but not limited to, Eastern Europe.

The Zionist movement was started as a result of the mistreatment of people of European background who had embraced the Jewish faith.  This movement emphasized, not from a biblical/theological perspective, but rather from a perspective of "reparation," the notion of a homeland for Jewish people because of their displacement.  This movement was not a theologically-based, but rather a humanist and secular-based  endeavor.  Later on, certain sectors in Judaism and Christianity gave it a biblical/theological twist, utilizing the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments to justify the establishment of the State of Israel with the subsequent uprooting and displacement of the Palestinians who had been living there for centuries.

There are some who believe that the land of Palestine was given to the Jews as a "consolation prize" for both their historical displacement and for the Holocaust in Germany.   I will not enter into a discussion or debate the merits of that position.

I will say, that I do not believe for one single second, that there is any biological or historical continuity between biblical Israel (Abraham's biological offspring) and the entity which today is called "Israel."  If anyone can, on the basis of Scripture or history, demonstrate otherwise, and take me out of my error, I would be most grateful and indebted to that person for the rest of my life.

Do I support Israel? I definitely do.  Having said that, however, I need to clarify just exactly who am I referring to when I say "Israel."  When I say that I support "Israel," I am referring to the "Israel" of God, i.e. Abraham's biological descendants together with the Gentiles who have claimed and professed Christ.  The Apostle Paul reminds us that the "true Jew"  is not merely one who has been circumsized outwardly, but also inwardly, i.e. by operation of the Holy Spirit.  I DO NOT support the entity which calls itself "Israel."  In my humble and personal opinion, that entity is a colonialist, imperialist, and racist (white supremacist) entity which treats with contempt not only our Palestinian sisters and brothers, but also Jewish people who proceed from places other than Europe. Again, if any one can conclusively demonstrate that I am wrong on this, I will stand corrected and revise my position, and apologize for taking this position and making such statements.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Liberation Theology: The Assumptions Teologia de La Liberacion :Las Presupocisiones

In order for us to evaluate any theology, we should first become familiar with the assumptions of the theologians in question.  This principle holds true for most branches of human knowledge.  Like in the humanities and in the social sciences, each theologian works with a certain set of assumptions. Those assumptions, in turn, determine the content and the thrust of the particular theology at hand.

Liberation Theology is no different.  Each theologian brings a baggage of presuppositions to her/his system of thought. It is a known fact, I believe, that no one does theology without a certain set of presuppositions. This should come as a surprise to no one, when we consider among other things, that no pure "objectivity" exists. By identifying the assumptions, we would be in a much better position to understand and evaluate the reasons why each theologian says what he/she does.

Gustavo Gutierrez, a Catholic priest from Peru, and the one known to coin the term "Theology of Liberation," believes, that for theology to  be valid, it must emerge from the "bottom up;" i.e that it must be a grassroots theology that emerges from experiences of those who have marginalized by societal structures.

Hugo Assmann, a Brazilian Catholic theologian, and one of the key leaders in the development of Liberation Theology in Brazil believes that the "starting point" for Liberation Theology is "our objective situation as oppressed and dependent peoples."

Mortimer Arias, a bishop in the Bolivian Methodist Church,  believes that the main emphasis of Liberation Theology is that of God "hearing the cry of the people in agony."

Jose Miguez Bonino, a minister in the Methodist Church of Argentina, assumes that it all starts on an analysis and interpretation of the Latin American situation.

Leonardo Boff, a former Catholic priest from Brazil, believes that Latin America is a "theologically privileged place for action and reflection (praxis)."

En fin, each theologian brings a background of assumptions to her/his theology.  Theology does not emerge or operate in a vacuum.  If one is to evaluate and critique Liberation Theology, he/she must first start with identify the major set of assumptions and presuppositions of each theologian.


In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Para poder evaluar cualquier teologia, debieramos primeramente familiarizarnos con las asunciones de el teologo en discusion. Este prinicipio es verdadero para la mayor parte de las ramas de el conocimiento humano. Al igual que en las humanidades y las ciencias sociales, cada teologo prosigue con un serie de asunciones.  Estas asunciones, en cambio, determinan el contenido y la orientacion de la teologia particular que se nos presenta.

La Teologia de La Liberacion no es diferente.  Cada teologo trae consigo un bagaje de asunciones y presuposciones a su sistema de pensamiento.

Es un hecho conocido, creo yo, que nadie hace teologia sin una serie de presupociones.  Esto no debe de venirle de sorpresa a nadie, siendo que no existe la pura "objetividad."  Al identifcar las asunciones, estariamos en mejor posicion para entender la razon por la cual cada teologo dice lo que el/ella dice.

Gustavo Gutierrez, sacerdote catolico del Peru, y el cual es conocido por haber originado la phrase "Teologia de La Liberacion," piensa que para la teologia ser valida, desde comenzar desde "abajo para arriba," es decir, debe de ser una teologia de las raices que surge de las experiencias de aquellos que han sido marginalizados por las estructuras sociales.

Hugo Assmann, sacerdote catolico del Brazil, piensa que el "punto comenzante" para la teologia debe de ser "nuestra situacion objetiva como pueblos oprimidos y dependientes."

Mortimer Arias, obispo en la iglesia Metodista Bolivian, establece que el enfasis de la teologia debe de ser el de reconocer que Dios ha oido "el clamor del pueblo en agonia."

Jose Miguez Bonino, ministro de la iglesia Metodista de la Argentina, asume que todo comienza con analizar e interpetar la situacion en la America Latina.

Leonardo Boff, ex-sacerdote catolico del Brazil, piensa que la America Latina es un "lugar privilegiado para la  accion y reflexion (praxis)."

En fin, cada teologo trae un trasfondo de asunciones a su teologia.  La teologia ni surge de ni opera en un vacio. Si uno va a criticar o evaluar a la Teologia de La Liberacion, debe primero comenzar identificando las asunciones y presupociones de cada teologo.

En el Nombre del Padre, del Hijo, y del Espiritu Santo. Amen!

Rev. Dr. Juan A. Carmona

Visiting Professor of Theology, Tainan Theological College and Seminary.

The Historical Context of Liberation Theology (El Contexto Historico de la Teologia de la Liberaction)

Many people who are vaguely familiar or totally unfamiliar with Liberation Theology are of the opinion that Liberation Theology is a mindset which began in the Roman Catholic Church back in the 1960's.  It is precisely because of the unfounded assumption, and also the belief that anything emerging from the Catholic Church is erroneous, that many people reject it outright without examining it.  When one examines the historical roots of Liberation Theology, one gets a different picture.

Liberation Theology, in a very general sense, began when Yahweh, the God of Israel, spoke to Moses and said to him "I have heard the cry of my people."  The "god-talk" of the Hebrews began during this time, i.e. their theology was rooted in God's salvific acts. Their theology emerged out of their oppression and suffering, and out of God's liberating acts in their history. Their theology was not generated by either idle talk or philosophical speculation. They did not have the luxury of engaging in intellectual discourse,  Nor were they in any condition to construct a theology which had nothing to do with the reality of life. Their theology was birthed by their agony and misery, and by Yahweh God empathizing with them, acting to deliver them from those conditions.

Theology must be evaluated within the framework of its historical context. Latin American Liberation Theology did not arise in a historical vacuum, but within the context of economic, political, religious and social relations.  To overlook this would be to relegate theology to a set of abstractions that have no relevance to human existence, activity, and history.

The historical roots of Latin American theology are to be found in the prophetic tradition of evangelists and missionaries from the earliest colonial days in Latin America-church leaders who questioned the type of presence adopted by the Church the way indigenous peoples, blacks, mestizos, and the poor rural and urban masses were treated. The names of Bartolome de Las Casas, Antonio de Montesinos, Antonio Viera, Brother Caneca, and others can stand for a whole host of religious personalities who have graced every century of our short history.  They are the source of the type of social and ecclesial understanding of what is emerging today (Clodovis Boff,  and Leonardo Boff, Introducing Liberation Theology. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1987, p.56).

The reader is referred to this book in order to trace the socio-political, ecclesial, and theological developments, including the building stage, the settling-in, and formalization stages.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Muchas personas que estan vagamente familiarizadas o totalmente desfamiliarizadas con la Teologia de la Liberacion, son de la opinion que la Teologia de la Liberacion es un concepto que comenzo en la Iglesia Catolica-Romana en la decada de los 1960's. Es precisamante por causa de esta asuncion sin fundamento,y tambien la creencia de que cualquier cosa que surge de la Iglesia Catolica es erronea, que muchas personas la rechazan sin haberla examinado. Cuando uno examina las raices de la Teologia de la Liberacion, obtiene un cuadro diferente.

La Teologia de la Liberacion , en un sentido historico general, comenzo cuando Jehovah Dios, el Dios de Israel, le hablo a Moises y le dijo " He oido el clamor de mi pueblo."  Su teologia surgio de la opresion y sufrimiento, y de los hechos salvadores de Dios en su historia. Su teologia no fue generada de conversacion vana ni de la especulacion filosofica. Ellos no tenian el lujo de envolucrarse en discurso intelectual. Ni tampoco estaban en condicion alguna para construir una teologia que no tenia nada que ver con la realidad de la vida. Su teologia fue parida por su agonia y miseria, y por Jehova Dios empatizando con ellos, y actuando para sacarlos de esas condiciones.

La teologia debe de ser evaluada dentro del marco de su contexto historico.  La Teologia Latino-Americana de la Liberacion no surgio en un vacio historico, sino dentro del contexto de las relaciones economicas, politicas, religiosas, y sociales.  El pasar esto por alto resultaria en relegar la historia historia a una serie de abstracciones que no tienen relevancia alguna a la existencia, actividad, e historia humana.

Las raices historicas de la Teologia de la Liberacion se hallan en la tradicion profetica de los evangelistas y los misioneros desde los primeros dias coloniales en la America Latina-dirigentes eclesiasticos que cuestionaron el tipo de presencia adoptada por la Iglesia, y por el trato que se les dio a los pueblos indigenas, negros, mestizos, y las masas, los rurales pobres, y las masas urbanas.  Los nombres de Bartolome de las Casas, Antonio de Montesinos, Antonio Viera, el Hermano Caneca, y otros sobresalen representando una hueste de personalidades religiosas que han influenciado cada siglo de nuestra breve historia (Clodovis y Leonardo Boff, Introduciendo la Teologia de la Liberacion. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1987, p. 56).

El lector es referido a este libro para poder trazar los desarollos socio-politicos, eclesiales, y teologicos, incluyendo las fases de edificacion, ajuste, y formalizacion.

En el Nombre del Padre, del Hijo, y del Espiritu Santo. Amen.

Dr. Juan A. Carmona

Visiting Professor of Theology, Tainan Theological College and Seminary

A Response to Gordon Hunt

Bro. Gordon:

Thank you so very much for your very valuable response.  There have been many books of Liberation Theology published since the 80's.  Many of them have been written from the feminist and ecological standpoints.  Some people place Liberation Theology under the rubrics of "Contextual Theology," "Political Theology," or "Post-Colonial Theology."  Once again, thank you for your every valuable input. Keep up the good work.  Grace and peace.

Juan A. Carmona