Description
Author: David Pawson
Pages: 160
Trim Size: 5″x8″
Binding: Perfect Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-981896-17-5
Has God brought the Jewish people back to Palestine?
- How can both Jews and Christians be God’s chosen people?
- How many covenants are there in the Bible?
- Do all Christian Zionists accept dispensational teaching?
- Does the God of Israel ever change his promises?
These are some of the questions that must be faced in the light of current attacks on Christian Zionism by some evangelical writers. David Pawson believes that Christians need very clear biblical understanding before making political pronouncements about conflict in the Middle East.
T.333 –
Reading this for a class I’m taking. David Pawson knows this subject matter well, but he’s a British/english scholar, so it’s hard for me to read his style of writing and retain. But it’s fascinating material, so I’ll just take my time and not rush through it.
Eli –
If you love Israel as I do you will enjoy Mr. Pawson’s work on the defense of Christian Zionism. As an ardent Zionist who is also a born again Christian, I found this work to be most helpful in my journey through Zionism with God.
D. Richards –
Israel has had much support in recent decades from many in the Evangelical Christian community, who see the modern restoration of the Jewish nation as fulfilment of Bible prophecies. In contrast to this ‘Christian Zionism’, many historical denominations follow a theological system which is very anti-zionist, seeing the church as replacing Israel in God’s plans. Stephen Sizer has become the most visible of these anti-zionist Christians because of 2 books he has written on the subject, the second book containing a previously unpublished sermon by John Stott. After having my own beliefs challenged by a Christian friend, I realized I needed to familiarize myself with some of the reasoning on both sides of this issue. I read some of the materials available on the Stephen Sizer website, which explained the theology behind his books. I also watched some video teachings on the internet, explaining the differences between these theological viewpoints. Then I ordered this book by David Pawson, “Defending Christian Zionism – in response to Stephen Sizer and John Stott”. I thought the book was a really good and informative response to the anti-zionist theology of Stephen Sizer and others. I found myself underlining points on almost every page and then going back and re-reading many sections of the book after I’d finished it. That means that, for me, it was a very useful book. David Pawson did a good job of identifying the theological problems with ‘replacement theology’ and explaining the reasons why he believed Israel was not replaced by the church but exists seperate from the church at this time, with a different calling than the church. For me, one of the more meaningful parts of the book was where Pawson showed how Sizer and other replacement theologians lump all prophecies about Israel under the conditional and temporary Old Covenant, then emphasize how the Old Covenant has been replaced by the New Covenant. In the process, they completely ignore the much older and eternal Abrahamic Covenant which includes the promise to Israel of a particular area of land – the Promised Land. Until I read this book, I was under the impression that all theology that accepts a Biblical present and future for Israel is called Dispensationalism and all theology that rejects any present and future for Israel is called Covenantalism. I found out from reading this book that this impression isn’t accurate, because David Pawson is not a Dispensationalist. I would recommend this book for anyone looking to be informed about why Sizer and others are wrong concerning this subject.
Helen Hancox –
This book was written in response to a book by Stephen Sizer against Christian Zionism which contained a short sermon by John Stott. In ‘Defending Christian Zionism’ David Pawson seeks to refute some of the statements that Sizer makes and state his own case for non-dispensationalist pre-millennial Christian Zionism.
Overall the book is successful. Not, for this reader, in convincing me of his position, but in the way in which he explained the different views, putting some quite complex ideas into readable language. I also appreciated the fact that he commended Stephen Sizer for some of his views, agreeing with him in many aspects, but when disagreeing doing so graciously and showing his own reasoning through biblical examples. Pawson occasionally lapsed into some rather odd examples of anecdotes which he thought proved his case, many of which I found entirely unconvincing, but the overall book was a clear and helpful read, even for someone who does not agree with his views. Despite being a response to another book, this would be a worthwhile introduction to this confusing and often emotive subject.