Nationhood, Recognition and Providence: The State of Israel in Modern Protestant Theology

Publisher Description

The parallels between the cry for recognition by members of subordinate nations, and the struggle for recognition in a direct, state formation as with the history of Israel, is one that often gets neglected by modern English-speaking theologians and ethicists these days. In the case of Israel this is undoubtedly because debates about the state of Israel tend to be inseparable from debates about US foreign policy and Israel's relation to the Palestinians. This book is partly an attempt to get beyond this perspective by confronting readers with the necessity of recognition of Israel as part of the Christian necessity for recognition of all nations. The other purpose of Nationhood, Recognition and Providence is to address what Moseley sees as a very serious problem with modern western Christian ethics, at least in the English-speaking world. God is said to have placed people in nations since the time of the sons of Noah. The point, it seems, was to be saved out of the lifeworld of nations. However, contemporary discussions in the west of how Christian should relate to life outside the church never get to this point. They break down the issues by ethical topic or sphere of life - but never according to the largest population unit permitted in the Bible apart from the church, namely nationhood. While nationalism may be almost unacceptable in our politically correct society today, Moseley asks if we are not missing something important by denying this universal issue.