Partners Together In This Great Enterprise

In 1917, Britain embraced Zionism and supported the concept of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Thirty years later, Britain rejected that commitment. In 1948, the United States picked up the fallen banner of Christian Zionism and has supported Israel ever since. What will America do in the 21st century? Will she continue to back Israel or will she reconsider this role? This book asks, Would Israel have been founded in 1948 if not for British Christian Zionism? Would Israel have survived since 1948 if not for American Christian Zionism? In the 21th Century, will America maintain her commitment to Israel, or will she abandon her support for the Jewish State as Britain did? David Schmidt has captured an important period in Christian history, when godly men in positions of power infused their weighty decisions of governance with faith and wisdom from on high, presenting a responsible brand of Biblical Zionism that still stands as a model for our day as the battle over Israel's restoration looms ever larger on the world stage. David Parsons, Media Director, International Christian Embassy, Jerusalem. David Schmidt's thoroughly researched volume fills a great need for a sympathetic yet scholarly treatment of how Christian belief in the restoration of Israel influenced the birth of that nation and also continues to positively influence support for its right to have a unique place among the family of nations. William Varner, PhD, Professor of Bible and Israel Studies, The Master's College, Santa Clarita, California. David W. Schmidt was born in Ontario, Canada and has lived in Israel with his wife Susan for the majority of the time since 1989. He has an M.A. in Middle East Studies and a Ph.D. in Middle East History. In Israel, Schmidt has taught at Jerusalem University College, The Master's College IBEX program and The University of the Holy Land.

The modern state of Israel has been a nation for almost 70 years. When she was formed and fought her early wars of existence, most Bible-believing Christians believed there was a real connection with what was going on in the Middle East and Bible prophecy that predicts an end-time return of the Jews to their land. While support for Israel remains high in most evangelical communities, we are seeing the beginning of a decline, especially among younger evangelicals, who question whether modern Israel really relates to end-time Bible prophecy. The Case for Zionism attempts to bring together biblical, historical, and legal arguments for the legitimacy of the startup nation known as Israel as it: Explains controversies such as antisemitism and Replacement Theology Details the biblical and legal rights of Modern Israel Explores the prophetic nature and future of Israel. In this presentation, Thomas Ice answers many of the contemporary arguments being used by both secular and religious communities to undermine what he believes is the hand of God at work in our own day.

An essential new reference work for students and general readers interested in the history, dynamics, and influence of evangelicalism in recent American history, politics, and culture. What makes evangelical or "born-again" Christians different from those who identify themselves more simply as "Christian"? What percentage of Americans believe in the Rapture? How are evangelicalism and Baptism similar? What is the influence of evangelical religions on U.S. politics? Readers of Evangelical America: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Religious Culture will learn the answers to these questions and many more through this single-volume work's coverage of the many dimensions of and diversity within evangelicalism and through its documentation of the specific contributions evangelicals have made in American society and culture. It also illustrates the Evangelical movement's influence internationally in key issues such as human rights, environmentalism, and gender and sexuality.

With respect to the countries of the world, this work addresses two basic questions: "How does religion affect politics in this country?" and "How does politics affect religion in this country?" Although there are many books on the topics of religion and politics, reference works that consider the two together are few, with those that do exist primarily addressing theory rather than trends. The present work does the latter, contextualizing them within regional and national boundaries. In so doing, it recognizes the power of political and religious ideas and movements on individuals, communities, and nations, making the work a valuable resource for several disciplines, among them political science, international relations, religion, and sociology. The work focuses on the interplay of religion and politics in countries around the world with an emphasis on the post-2000s. It is organized by global geographic regions including Africa, Central and South America, and the Middle East and presents countries alphabetically within those sections. Each region has a brief overview of the political-religious dynamics of the area so readers can compare and contrast the dynamics between and among countries in a region. The work also includes an introduction, sidebars, and a bibliography.

The lens of apartheid-era Jewish commemorations of the Holocaust in South Africa reveals the fascinating transformation of a diasporic community. Through the prism of Holocaust memory, this book examines South African Jewry and its ambivalent position as a minority within the privileged white minority. Grounded in research in over a dozen archives, the book provides a rich empirical account of the centrality of Holocaust memorialization to the community’s ongoing struggle against global and local antisemitism. Most of the chapters focus on white perceptions of the Holocaust and reveals the tensions between the white communities in the country regarding the place of collective memories of suffering in the public arena. However, the book also moves beyond an insular focus on the South African Jewish community and in very different modality investigates prominent figures in the anti-apartheid struggle and the role of Holocaust memory in their fascinating journeys towards freedom.