What is Christian Zionism?

Scripture never uses the phrase “Christian Zionism.” No biblical writer names a movement by that title. The word at its root—Zion—comes from the Hebrew צִיּוֹן (Ṣiyyôn), which first denoted the fortress David seized in Jerusalem and later blossomed into something larger: a poetic name for the city itself, for God’s dwelling place, and ultimately for His kingdom and covenant people.

“For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place” (Psalm 132:13).

By the time the New Testament writers pick up the term, the Greek Σιών (Siōn) has stretched even further, beyond the earthly city into a heavenly one: “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22).

Christian Zionism, then, is an extra-biblical label that developed gradually during the twentieth century, becoming widely established in the decades following the founding of the modern State of Israel in 1948. Historians, theologians, journalists, and Christian organizations adopted the term to describe a particular stream of Christian theology. While the movement appeals to biblical passages concerning Zion, Israel, and prophecy, the name itself is a historical designation rather than a biblical one.

The Working Definition

As it is commonly used today, Christian Zionism describes a theological movement within Christianity built on several central convictions: that the Jewish people retain a distinct covenantal or prophetic role in God’s redemptive plan, that the modern State of Israel possesses biblical or prophetic significance, and that Christians therefore have a biblical responsibility to support Israel politically, diplomatically, or spiritually. Many within the movement also interpret contemporary events involving Israel through the lens of biblical prophecy, associating them with the fulfillment of the last days.

It is important to distinguish Christian Zionism from Christian–Jewish relations. Christian–Jewish relations refer broadly to dialogue, reconciliation, friendship, cooperation, and mutual understanding between Christians and Jews. A Christian may value the Jewish roots of the faith, reject antisemitism, and cultivate meaningful relationships with Jewish people without embracing Christian Zionist theory. One concerns relationships between people; the other concerns a particular interpretation of biblical prophecy.

For this reason, historians generally define Christian Zionism as a modern theological movement that views the Jewish people and the modern State of Israel as continuing participants in God’s prophetic purposes and therefore encourages Christian support for Israel on biblical grounds. The definition itself is descriptive rather than evaluative.

A Term Everyone Uses, Not Everyone Wears

Today, Christian Zionism has become the standard descriptive term in academic literature and public discussion. Historians, theologians, journalists, and political scientists routinely employ it to distinguish this movement from both Jewish Zionism and the broader history of Christian–Jewish relations. Scholars such as Paul Charles Merkley, Donald M. Lewis, Stephen Spector, and Stephen R. Sizer have all used the term extensively, although they differ considerably in their evaluation of the movement.

Within Christianity, however, the label is embraced unevenly. Some leaders and organizations openly identify themselves as Christian Zionists. Others hold substantially similar theological convictions but prefer to describe themselves as dispensationalists, premillennialists, or simply as Christians who believe God’s promises to Israel continue. Many avoid the label altogether, choosing instead to say only that they “stand with Israel.”

Among the organizations most commonly identified with the movement are Christians United for Israel (CUFI), the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), Bridges for Peace, and Christian Friends of Israel. Although their ministries differ in emphasis, each is widely recognized as representing modern Christian Zionism.

Leaders who claimed the label themselves. John Hagee has publicly stated, “I am a Christian Zionist,” and, as founder of CUFI, has become one of the movement’s best-known advocates. David Pawson likewise accepted the designation in his book Defending Christian Zionism, explaining why he considered himself a Christian Zionist. Mike Huckabee has also publicly referred to himself as “a Christian Zionist.”

Theologians who shaped the movement but never used the name. John Walvoord, Charles Ryrie, Hal Lindsey, Jerry Falwell, and Tim LaHaye are all widely described by historians as Christian Zionists, yet no verified primary source has been found in which they personally adopted the label. Walvoord’s writings on prophecy and Israel helped establish much of the theological framework later associated with the movement. Ryrie’s dispensational theology sharpened the distinction between Israel and the Church that became central to it.

Lindsey’s prophecy books brought these ideas to a mass readership, while LaHaye further popularized them through the Left Behind novels. Falwell consistently advocated strong political and theological support for Israel—his oft-quoted statement, “To stand against Israel is to stand against God,” reflects that conviction—yet no documented first-person statement identifies him as a Christian Zionist.

That distinction is historically significant. It is one thing to observe that a person’s theology fits the pattern historians describe as Christian Zionism; it is another to attribute the label to that individual. Unless a primary source demonstrates that someone personally adopted the designation, it is more accurate to say that the individual is widely described by historians and scholars as a Christian Zionist.

The same caution applies when looking further back in history. Seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Protestant writers who anticipated a future restoration of the Jewish people did not describe themselves as Christian Zionists because the term had not yet entered the language. Historians generally classify these earlier views as Restorationism. Applying the modern label to Puritans or other early Protestant writers risks introducing an anachronism that obscures important historical distinctions.

Where the Term Stands Now

Today, Christian Zionism has become the accepted descriptive term for a theological movement that combines a particular interpretation of biblical prophecy with support for the Jewish people and the modern State of Israel. Used by supporters and critics alike, as well as by historians, theologians, journalists, and political scientists, the term describes a movement rather than a single denomination or organization.

Although the movement traces many of its theological roots to earlier Restorationist thought and nineteenth-century dispensationalism, its modern expression developed gradually throughout the twentieth century. A significant turning point came with the widespread influence of the Scofield Reference Bible, whose interpretive notes popularized dispensational distinctions between Israel and the Church and presented a prophetic framework that shaped generations of pastors, Bible teachers, and lay readers. Those notes were never part of the biblical text itself, yet they profoundly influenced how many Christians understood prophecy and Israel.

During the decades that followed, theologians such as Lewis Sperry Chafer, John Walvoord, Charles Ryrie, and J. Dwight Pentecost further systematized and expanded these interpretations through seminaries, theological works, and study Bibles. Later popular authors and speakers—including Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHaye, John Hagee, and others—introduced these ideas to a much broader audience through books, conferences, television, and political advocacy. As the movement grew in influence, historians increasingly adopted the term Christian Zionism as the standard description for this developing theological tradition.

Whether one agrees or disagrees with its conclusions, Christian Zionism is best understood as a modern theological movement that developed over time through a particular stream of prophetic interpretation rather than as a biblical designation found in Scripture. It therefore remains distinct both from the biblical meaning of Zion and from the broader history of Christian–Jewish relations.

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References

• Merkley, Paul Charles. The Politics of Christian Zionism, 1891–1948. London: Frank Cass, 1998.
• Merkley, Paul Charles. Christian Attitudes Towards the State of Israel. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2001.
• Lewis, Donald M. The Origins of Christian Zionism: Lord Shaftesbury and Evangelical Support for a Jewish Homeland. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.
• Lewis, Donald M. A Short History of Christian Zionism: From the Reformation to the Twenty-First Century. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2021.
• Spector, Stephen. Evangelicals and Israel: The Story of American Christian Zionism. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
• Sizer, Stephen. Christian Zionism: Road-map to Armageddon? Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004.
• Pawson, David. Defending Christian Zionism. Bristol: Terra Nova Publications, 2008.
• Hagee, John. Public statements and CUFI founding materials, Christians United for Israel.
• Falwell, Jerry. Public statements on Israel, various sermons and interviews.