The Politics of Christian Zionism, 1891-1948The cause of 'Restoration' of the Jews to Zion first became a political force in the United States with the publication in 1891 of the 'Blackstone Memorial'. But the model for collaboration between Christian Restorationists and official Zionists was set by Theodor Herzl himself, and William Hechler, a British Restorationist pamphleteer, who was in fact the first of Herzl's followers to achieve audience for the Zionist leader with the Christian princes of the day. Thereafter, many significant friendships between Christian Zionists and official Zionists served to win the public mind and the cooperation of the politicians for actions that would lead to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. The author searched Presidential archives, Jewish historical libraries, and official Zionist records in both the US and Israel for evidence of dealings between official Zionists and active Christian Restorationists. Much of this record appears in print for the first time in this book, and is here linked to the much better known story of the dealings of the official Zionists with the politicians and the elected leaders of Britain and the US. This story contains many lessons for students of American politics, foreign policy, and religion - fields that sometimes intersect in ways not readily conceded by scholars. |
