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The Land of Many Names: Towards a Christian Understanding of the Middle East Conflict
So much heat has been generated by the subject of Israel and Palestine. It's a subject that will not go away and it is crucial that Christians should have a clear grasp of both the spiritual and historical factors involved. This is a lively, entertaining, and provocative introduction to the subject for ordinary Christians. Steve Maltz takes you on a historical journey of the Land of Many Names. From the Canaan of Abraham, to the Promised Land, via the Land of Milk and Honey, Israel and Judah, Judea and Samaria, Palestine, The Holy Land, Zion, Israel, and the 'Zionist Entity'.
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First published April 2, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 27, 2016
A great book on the existence of Israel in history and in the Land today, from a Christian perspective. Lovely, easy style and address to the reader.
It makes the case for the nation still being in a relationship with God - under chastisement because of its unbelief, but kept for salvation because of God's unconditional covenant with Abraham. The book is a good effort in exposing and demolishing the false sort of Replacement Theology that has misled much of 'Christendom' down the ages. It shows how God has not dispensed with Israel when He instituted the Church.
My only fault with it is the common one - it fails to see the Church as it is in the Scripture. This comes in two aspects:
1. Steve sometimes calls the Church 'the Gentile Church'. It is NOT. The Church is NOT unrelated to the nation of Israel - that error is really a mirror image of Replacement Theology, for it too makes a total separation of Israel and the Church. The reality is this: the Church is primarily, essentially Jewish - the fulfilment of the New Covenant promise to Israel. It is Israel in its maturity, unlike Israel in its minority, under the Law. It is believing Israel separated from unbelieving Israel, and added to with believing Gentiles. It is the continuation of Israel, not a totally new entity. The believing Gentiles are brought into the commonwealth of Israel, made fellow citizens of Israel. The middle wall of partition is broken down and they are brought IN, not believing Israel brought out to a new entity.
2. Steve refers to Christendom as the Church. Much of Christendom was a perverted form of Christianity, practising and teaching much that is contrary to NT doctrine. This sort of 'Church' did persecute Israel - and all who refused to conform to its teachings and supremacy. Yes, true Christians were in its midst, like Lot in Sodom, and imbibed some of its errors. But it is a mistake to speak of 'the Church' as if it was identical to the perverted organisations that ruled in the name of Christ for many centuries. The Church was and is those bodies that conform in essentials to the NT Church.
Aside from that, Steve does a wonderful job!
It makes the case for the nation still being in a relationship with God - under chastisement because of its unbelief, but kept for salvation because of God's unconditional covenant with Abraham. The book is a good effort in exposing and demolishing the false sort of Replacement Theology that has misled much of 'Christendom' down the ages. It shows how God has not dispensed with Israel when He instituted the Church.
My only fault with it is the common one - it fails to see the Church as it is in the Scripture. This comes in two aspects:
1. Steve sometimes calls the Church 'the Gentile Church'. It is NOT. The Church is NOT unrelated to the nation of Israel - that error is really a mirror image of Replacement Theology, for it too makes a total separation of Israel and the Church. The reality is this: the Church is primarily, essentially Jewish - the fulfilment of the New Covenant promise to Israel. It is Israel in its maturity, unlike Israel in its minority, under the Law. It is believing Israel separated from unbelieving Israel, and added to with believing Gentiles. It is the continuation of Israel, not a totally new entity. The believing Gentiles are brought into the commonwealth of Israel, made fellow citizens of Israel. The middle wall of partition is broken down and they are brought IN, not believing Israel brought out to a new entity.
2. Steve refers to Christendom as the Church. Much of Christendom was a perverted form of Christianity, practising and teaching much that is contrary to NT doctrine. This sort of 'Church' did persecute Israel - and all who refused to conform to its teachings and supremacy. Yes, true Christians were in its midst, like Lot in Sodom, and imbibed some of its errors. But it is a mistake to speak of 'the Church' as if it was identical to the perverted organisations that ruled in the name of Christ for many centuries. The Church was and is those bodies that conform in essentials to the NT Church.
Aside from that, Steve does a wonderful job!
March 20, 2015
Engagingly written and clear; certainly learned some history as I was reading. He puts forwards some strong arguments and, although he mostly engages with non-Zionist straw-men, he fairly convincingly argues from the Bible that Zionism is a viable theological position. Most convincing are the arguments concerning the existence of the state of Israel today and the frequent use of OT prophecy. It also helps the Christian to humbly realise the shortcomings of the church throughout history with regard to her dealings with Judaism, exhorting Christian to treat Jews lovingly as Jesus does.
However, the premise of the book generally suffers from not satisfyingly explaining how Jesus the Messiah fulfills the Abrahamic covenant. In fact, it is the opinion of the author that "the coming of Jesus would have no affect on the covenant with Abraham." (Page 67). That is a huge statement! Due to the failure to interpret the OT as the Bible itself does (using the coming of Jesus and the NT as fulfillment), one has to question whether the author's theology leads to a diminished view of Jesus's achievements. By his own admission, the author is no theologian; from the confused hermeneutic that declares itself "literal" to the over-simplification of the idea of God's sovereignty, that much is obvious.
However, the premise of the book generally suffers from not satisfyingly explaining how Jesus the Messiah fulfills the Abrahamic covenant. In fact, it is the opinion of the author that "the coming of Jesus would have no affect on the covenant with Abraham." (Page 67). That is a huge statement! Due to the failure to interpret the OT as the Bible itself does (using the coming of Jesus and the NT as fulfillment), one has to question whether the author's theology leads to a diminished view of Jesus's achievements. By his own admission, the author is no theologian; from the confused hermeneutic that declares itself "literal" to the over-simplification of the idea of God's sovereignty, that much is obvious.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews