The Sabeel Conference in Jerusalem

From Clarence and Joan Musgrave

Circular Letter No 164

17th April 2004

Wednesday saw the start of a Conference organized by Sabeel, the Palestinian Liberation Theology Centre, on the theme, "Challenging Christian Zionism: Theology, Politics and the Palestine - Israel Conflict."

It is attempting to give explanations as to what exactly Christian Zionism is, and also trying to offer a historical perspective on it. At the risk of hugely over-simplifying what has taken several speakers many hours to speak about, I will offer one sentence: "A belief that God is calling the Jewish people to return to what has become the modern State of Israel, taking possession of what he gave to them in his Covenant with Abraham, as a Prelude to the (Second) Coming of the Messiah." [For Jewish People the future coming of the Messiah will be the First Coming, as they have not accepted the coming of Jesus as the First Coming. For Christians, the future coming of the Messiah will be the Second Coming, as the Incarnation of Jesus was the First Coming.] If I have got this all wrong, tear up the letter!

Speakers included Christian, Jewish and Muslim people. The one common thread through all their presentations was a conviction that what is happening here now is wrong, and has to be put right.

All sorts of questions have been raised (in no specific order):