To complete our reports on actions of the 80th General Convention which met in Baltimore early last month, let's examine the fate of Resolution C012, Confronting Christian Zionism, submitted by the Diocese of Chicago. C012 was one of two resolutions on Christian Zionism (“CZ”) considered by Legislative Committee 7, Social Justice and International Policy.
The other, similarly titled C040 On Confronting Christian Zionism, submitted by the Diocese of Washington (DC), was considered during online hearings before Convention, but as often happens when similar resolutions come before a Committee, a decision was taken to address C012 and to "take no further action" on C040. The House of Bishops, to which all Committee 7 resolutions went for their first hearing, affirmed that decision at Convention.
As a reminder, CZ grows out of a 19th Century dispensational, literalist interpretation of Scripture which envisions a violent end-time when Jews who don’t recognize Jesus as Messiah will be annihilated with the rest of God’s enemies. Many proponents believe the 1967 reunification of Jerusalem was a literal fulfillment of Hebrew Scriptures such as Zechariah 8:3. The impact is unequivocal support for the modern State of Israel leading followers to give millions for Israeli settlement construction and political support for our government’s giving billions in military aid each year. Perhaps even more dangerous is the uncritical support for any law or action taken by the modern state of Israel.
Some Episcopalians and other well-meaning folk who are neither dispensationalists nor interpret the Bible literally subscribe to a mainline version of Christian Zionism which Jewish historian Marc Ellis calls “the ecumenical deal”, characterized by an unwillingness to criticize the state of Israel out of guilt for the Holocaust and/or an misinterpretation of God's covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:3. The impact however is the same.
Committee 7 heard spirited online testimony in the spring by parishioners of the Diocese of Chicago, by ecumenical and interfaith members of the Chicago Faith Coalition, and by other EPF PIN supporters, but also drew opposition from both Christian and Jewish supporters of Zionism. After consideration, the Deputies and Bishops altered the language of C012 slightly and sent it for consideration at Convention with a recommendation to approve as amended. However, unlike resolutions placed on the "consent calendar" which pass (or fail) as part of a group, C012 and CZ would be discussed on the floor.
The final language which was considered by the House of Bishops read:
Resolved, That the 80th General Convention of the Episcopal Church reject the nationalistic theology of Christian Zionism which provides the ideological basis for Christian Zionist leaders and politicians seeking to influence United States policy in Palestine-Israel; and be it further
Resolved, that this Convention not only reject the theology of Christian Zionism which is inherently antisemitic but also, critically, condemn the political policy positions that it sponsors and financially supports, which include Israel's expansion across the entire land of Palestine-Israel and the displacement of the Palestinian people, including our indigenous Palestinian Christian and Muslim brothers and sisters; and be it further
Resolved, that, recognizing the extent to which the Prayer Book liturgy including prayers and the lectionary as well as the hymns contain frequent references to the Biblical land of Israel and the Israelites and that many Episcopalians confuse these with the current State of Israel, a conflation that reinforces the deceptive theology of Christian Zionism , the Episcopal Church commit to making clear in liturgy and in teaching the clear distinction between the current political situation and the Biblical past.
Bishop Daniel Gutierrez of Philadelphia, who chaired Committee 7, presented the resolution in the House of Bishops with the Committee's recommendation to “adopt with amendment", but Bishop Peter Eaton of Southeast Florida rose immediately to propose that the resolution be referred to an interim body for further study and action.
While Bishop Eaton said he shared the position that CZ is "an expression of the Christian faith that is not consonant with our Anglican sensibility" and could see why "we might want to distance ourselves from it as a theological construct", he claimed to be "not aware that [CZ] is a pressing issue within our church". He went on to say his first concern was that the resolution needed a "clearer definition" to avoid confusing "a condemnation of Christian Zionism with a condemnation of Zionism".
His second objection was that the resolution also condemned Israel's policies in the Israel Palestine conflict, which he felt was "much too complicated a matter to slip into a resolution" on CZ. It should be noted, however, that the House of Bishops went on to address that very issue, and the House of Deputies concurred in approving Resolution C039 Justice and Peace in the Holy Land - Our Call to Action.
Bishop Eaton concluded by sharing his opinion that C012 assumed a "conflation of Biblical references to Israel with the modern state of Israel which is neither evident nor compelling" and noted that the Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music will be addressing "the way in which matters of sensitive interpretation are handled.”
Bishop Eugene Sutton of Maryland then rose in support of the resolution, affirming that it was "very much needed and very timely". In response to Bishop Eaton's comments, Bishop Sutton argued that the resolution "is not designed to be a paper on Christian Zionism", but "invites people to do further investigation for it". He also affirmed the call to look at language in the Prayer Book that "is regularly misinterpreted". He testified that within his diocese "there is a deep conflation when the Prayer Book speaks of Israel... with modern Israel." Bishop Sutton has encouraged his clergy to say, "in the calling of ancient Israel to be your people" when using Eucharistic Prayer B, or to substitute the words "in the calling of the children of Abraham." Although Bishop Eaton did not mention how relationships to the large, older and presumably conservative Jewish population in SE Florida might have influenced his concerns, Bishop Sutton, noting the "very large" Orthodox Jewish population in the city of Baltimore, stated that "we have to be very clear on what we mean."
With the time allocated to discussion on the Resolution running out and with no one else rising to speak for or against the resolution, the House of Bishops voted, by a tally of 69 For, 46 Against and with 2 Abstentions, to refer C012 to an Interim Body for further development. That decision was confirmed without discussion by the House of Deputies the next day as part of their consent calendar.
For those not familiar, Interim Bodies are something like an ad hoc committee of interested and qualified laypersons, deacons and clergy who take up one or more matters between General Conventions. The Episcopal News Service recently posted this release calling for volunteers to participate in nearly a dozen identified or yet to be named Interim Bodies. The application deadline is August 12th. If you have, or are interested in applying, please let us know
