How is the Lutheran approach to Israel and Palestine different from that of Christian Zionism?
Christian Zionism is a politically mobilized strand of Christian fundamentalism committed to preserving Jewish control over all of historic Palestine to ensure the realization of Christian Zionists’ own endtimes hope. In its contemporary North American forms, Christian Zionism is based on the “rapture theology.” While even Martin Luther had an intensely apocalyptic hope, our hope is not for escape from this world; rather, our hope is that the world will be reconciled in Christ through God’s mercy and love. The focus of Christian Zionism on the United States and its support of the State of Israel leads to intense nationalism that stands at odds with the traditional Lutheran understanding that no political entity is uniquely blessed by God. Christian Zionists also damage interfaith relationships when they portray Muslims as a global menace and when they treat Jews as a temporary means to their apocalyptic ends.
