I wish – hope and pray – that every Evangelical Christian will read Amy Kaplan’s, ‘Our American Israel: The Story of an Entangled Alliance.’ Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University, depicts Kaplan’s book in his article, ‘Manifest Destinies:’ “it is the first work to describe, fully and rigorously, America’s relationship with Israel in terms of the profound cultural ties that bind the two countries so closely together and to examine their evolving relationship over several generations.

Dr. Khalidi continues: “The title of Kaplan’s book is extremely telling: This is a story of how a national and colonial settler project in a distant and seemingly exotic part of the world was normalized and Americanized to the point that, in the American imagination, Israelis are seen as close kin. In a certain sense, for many Americans, Israel is a part of us.”

Many Evangelicals might respond to Amy Kaplan’s book the same way they respond to mine, entitled ‘Christian Zionism … Enraptured Around a Golden Calf.’ Allow me to share a conversation I’ve had a few days ago with one of my surgeons:

“What do you think of my book?”

“I don’t.”

“What do you mean, do you like it?”

“No”!

“Did you read it?”

“Twice!”

“Twice, and you don’t like it?”

“No … I mean, yes I don’t like it”!

(I might add, we were intellectually sparring, half-serious and half-joking.”)

“Level with me, Doc, why didn’t you like my book?”

“I’m having trouble with the truth, which conflicts with my truths that I’ve taken to heart since Sunday School.”

“You mean, ‘truths’ about Israel … your perceptions of truth?

“Yes, I cannot let go of those truths … the truth I’ve been spoon fed for over half a century … I’ve been brought up to put Israel on a God-given pedestal … and, you, your book, has blown Israel off that pedestal … I mean, Israel can do no wrong … Israel is God’s country … Israel is the promised land … the Palestinians have no right to be in Israel … in fact, you never called Israel by its name … you always refer the Region to Israel-Palestine … I can go on and on. I resent you’re trying to change the way I think about Israel.”

“I’m not trying to change the way you think about anything. I’m trying to get YOU to change the way YOU think about Israel … and, you’ve got to admit, I do it with honor, respect, and dignity. I’m not pounding it into your brain with a ton of bricks. I’m sharing with you theological and geopolitical data with several hundred biblical passages and secular references and from a personal perspective to help you broaden your horizon … you’re free to take it or leave it.”

“That’s the problem. I can’t let go. That’s why I’ve read it twice, from cover to cover. I’m having trouble dealing with the facts … don’t’ bother me with facts. They are torpedoing my truths.”

(Thereafter, we agreed to have lunch to further explore this difficult subject at a later date … we’re good friends, still.)

 

‘Christian Zionism … Enraptured Around a Golden Calf (1st Edition)

www.surrenderIsraeltoGod.com

www.buildingthebridge.eu

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