Beyond Christian Zionism: A Travelogue of a Former Idealogue by Ian Stackhouse

REVIEWER: Ali Hull

BOOK: Beyond Christian Zionism: A Travelogue of a Former Idealogue

(Wipf and Stock, 2024) 114pp, paperback, £15 

Ian Stackhouse, pastor and author, first went to Israel in 1983. A newish convert, he had also bought into the pro-Israeli and Christian Zionist stance of the time, popular amongst most evangelicals. Now, forty years later, he traces the story of how that love for Israel remains, but the commitment to Christian Zionism has vanished: driven out by experience, a greater knowledge of the Bible and of the politics involved, and more deeper thought. 

Ian Stackhouse’s big plea is to consider the difference that Jesus, through his incarnation, life, death and resurrection, has made to the status of Israel and the importance of the ‘land’. This is not to say that he preaches ‘replacement theology’ – he is adamant that he doesn’t. He also calls out the Christian Zionist community for their neglect of Palestinian Christians, who are usually left out of the thousands of tours of the country, while not being permitted to visit most of the holy sites that western Christians aim for. 

The book is short, but it covers a lot of ground, and includes an impressive bibliography (though some of the books he quotes are for information purposes: he is not recommending all of them and many would be mutually contradictory). It is a very personal book, and a good, though not an easy, read.  

As with any book of this kind, there is always a danger that potential readers will either know what they think already, and not be open to challenging that view, or see no point in reading what confirms what they already believe. I come into one of those categories, however, and I do suggest that any Christian would benefit from reading it.  Not least, of course, because of the current situation in the Middle East. The 7th of October attacks took place while the book was being produced, and the ensuing chaos is, at the time of writing, simply getting worse. This book will offer some elucidation: Colin Chapman, whose books are listed, offers more. 

Reviewer: Ali Hull 

Ali Hull is the Book Editor for Preach magazine, and has spent nearly thirty years working with words, as a writer, editor and writing coach.