Stephen Sizer
Encyclopedia
The Reverend Dr Stephen Robert Sizer (born 1953) is the incumbent
at Christ Church, Virginia Water
, an Anglican parish
in Surrey
, England
. In addition to his parish ministry, he has a number of external roles and is known internationally as an author and speaker specialising in topics relating to the land of Israel
. He has written numerous books and articles on this subject and is regularly invited to teach in churches, seminaries and universities in Europe, the Middle East and USA, as a theologian and evangelist. His views on Zionism
and Christian Zionism
have proved controversial, attracting both praise and condemnation.
in 1953, the son of a carpenter, Stephen Sizer showed an early love of Geography
. He began his career working for the Department of Health and Social Security
(1971–1973) as a Supplementary Benefit
s Visiting Officer in east London. From there he went on to study Geography (African & Asian Studies) at Sussex University, (1973–1976). It was while at University, that he became a Christian. After graduation Sizer worked as a Campus Director/student counsellor with Agape
at the Universities of London, Liverpool and Sussex. In 1980 he was accepted for training as a minister in the Church of England and gained a Diploma in Theology at Trinity College Bristol. In 1983 he was ordained and became an Assistant Curate
for St. Leonard's in St Leonards-on-Sea
, then was appointed Rector
at St. John's, Stoke, Guildford
in 1986. He gained a MA
in Theology
from Oxford University in 1994. After 11 years at St John's, in 1997 he became the Vicar
of http://www.cc-vw.org/index.php?id=1&level=1/Christchurch, Virginia Water
], where he is now incumbent
. He continued to study and was awarded a PhD
from Oak Hill Theological College
and Middlesex University
in 2003.
, Anglican Mainstream, and the Church Society
. He has endorsed the Jerusalem Declaration issued by the Global Anglican Future Conference
and has joined the resulting Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. He supports the Third Province Movementhttp://www.thirdprovince.org.uk.
, politics
and history
of the Middle East
, and has travelled extensively throughout the region.
He opposes Christian Zionism, as he holds to a Covenantal overview and literal
hermeneutic for the Bible
. He has received criticism for supporting divestment
from Western companies profiting from Israeli Jewish presence in territories claimed also by the Palestinian
Arabs, and for promoting the view that the New Testament
merely reinterprets or leads to a new understanding of the Old Testament
.
In 2004, Sizer adapted his PhD thesis into a book, Christian Zionism - Road Map to Armageddon?. He claims that Christian Zionism infused with the neoconservative
political ideology has led millions of Christians astray and helped to tip the world on its side heavy with military artillery.
Sizer believes that Christian Zionism
plays an important and dangerous role in the politics of the Middle East
, shaping U.S. foreign policy. He argues that Christian Zionism has no biblical foundation or historical precedent.
He disputes the latter view in several books and articles on the subject, claiming that the current size and disposition of the state of Israel pose an existential threat to Palestinian Arabs.
He followed this in 2007 with Zion's Christian Soldiers, arguing that Christian Zionism has morphed the view of Jesus held by professing Christians in the United States
from a man of peace to a militant, anti-Arab
crusader.
Even more controversially, he has appeared on Iran
ian state television
to discuss what he views as the problem of Christian sympathies toward the modern state of Israel.
In his writings, while staunchly opposing Christian Zionism and charging Israel with institutionalised racial oppression and human rights
violations, Sizer is also careful to repudiate antisemitism and other forms of racism:
Sizer's focus on the Holy Land
, in particular Jerusalem, the Temple Mount
, and the future of the world juxtaposed with the current political climate and neoconservative ideology aims to change the views of many American Christians whom he sees as having been led astray by the "heresy
" of dispensationalism
, as popularly supported by John Hagee
of Christians United for Israel
, prophecy teacher Hal Lindsay, and Left Behind
coauthor Tim LaHaye
.
Sizer has shared a platform with Neturei Karta
, a radically anti-Zionist
Jewish organisation apart of mainstream Judaism which has allegedly condoned Palestinian political violence
against Israelis.
covenant theology
, including leaders and academics such as John Stott
(Stott's essay "The Place of Israel" is included in Sizer's Book "Zion's Christian Soldiers?"), R. C. Lucas
, Gary Burge, Gilbert Bilezikian, Stephen Travis, and Paul Copan
.
Other Christians have taken the contrary opinion. Some reviews of Christian Zionism - Road Map to Armageddon? have been highly critical. A prominent Christian opponent of Sizer, however, is renowned Bible teacher David Pawson
, who wrote a book called Defending Christian Zionism - in response to Steven Sizer and John Stott. Pawson has said of Sizer:
Pawson publicly debated Sizer on Premier Christian Radio
.
Other Christian authors who have criticised Sizer include Barry Horner and Paul Wilkinson, leaders of Christian missions to the Jewish people such as Mike Moore, General Secretary of Christian Witness to Israel, and Tony Higton. Later, having met Sizer, Tony Higton largely retracted his view and wrote:
The General Director of the Church's Ministry Among Jewish People has also rejected Sizer's approach.
journalist Melanie Phillips
is a notable Jewish critic of Sizer and has condemned him in her writings. British Jewish historian Geoffrey Alderman
has also warned against Sizer, criticising him for masking his religious prejudice in "academic guise." Jewish Christians
and Messianic Jews
such as Aaron Abramson and Jacob Prasch have also expressed their strong disagreement with Sizer's views.
Sizer's books have been endorsed by controversial Jewish academics such as the Reform Jewish
Rabbi Dan Cohn-Sherbok
and Middle East
historian Norton Mezvinsky
.
UK, publishers of the New International Version
, the most widely read English Bible. He has served as an external examiner for post-graduate degrees (MPhil and PhD) awarded by the University of Wales through the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (OCMS), and Tyndale-Carey Graduate School, Bible College of New Zealand. He is a trainer for the Christianity Explored
course and has visited Uganda and Kenya in this regard.
Sizer's other external positions relate to his interest in Peace
in the Middle East
and to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
. He is a founding member of the Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism, a member of the Advisory Council of Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding, a Trustee of the Amos Trust and on the UK Board of Reference for the Mar Elias Educational Institutions in Ibillin, Galilee. He is also on the editorial board of Living Stones Magazine.
raised awareness of the dispute between Sizer and Weissman to a far greater level than it previously had.
, Third Way
, The Christian Research Journal, Living Stones, Sojourners, Plain Truth
and Friends of Al Aqsa. He is a regular contributor to programmes on Premier Radio
, Press TV
; and the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting
(IRIB). He has also appeared on BBC2 Newsnight
, Syrian TV and Al Manar TV. In recent years he has lectured at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, London, Glasgow, Manchester, Leicester, SOAS, George Washington, North Park Chicago, Baylor, Palm Beach Atlantic, Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Shahreza, Qom, Jakarta, Petra, Beirut and Cairo. He has also lectured at the Oxford Centre of Mission Studies, Oak Hill College, Wycliffe Hall, Tyndale House
, the Cornhill Training Course (CTC), for Tearfund
, the Islamic Human Rights Commission
, Cornerstone
and Greenbelt.
Dr Sizer is also a photographer and has contributed to two large format books of the Holy Land
.
Incumbent (ecclesiastical)
In Anglican canon law, the incumbent of a benefice, usually the parish priest, holds the temporalities or assets and income.Depending on the terms of governance of each parish an incumbent might be either:...
at Christ Church, Virginia Water
Virginia Water
Virginia Water is an affluent village, a lake and, originally, a stream, the village being in the Runnymede Borough Council in Surrey and the bodies of water stretching over the borders of Runnymede, Old Windsor and Sunninghill and Ascot, England....
, an Anglican parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In addition to his parish ministry, he has a number of external roles and is known internationally as an author and speaker specialising in topics relating to the land of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. He has written numerous books and articles on this subject and is regularly invited to teach in churches, seminaries and universities in Europe, the Middle East and USA, as a theologian and evangelist. His views on Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
and Christian Zionism
Christian Zionism
Christian Zionism is a belief among some Christians that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, is in accordance with Biblical prophecy. It overlaps with, but is distinct from, the nineteenth century movement for the Restoration of the Jews...
have proved controversial, attracting both praise and condemnation.
Background and education
Born in LowestoftLowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
in 1953, the son of a carpenter, Stephen Sizer showed an early love of Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
. He began his career working for the Department of Health and Social Security
Department of Health and Social Security
The Department of Health and Social Security was a ministry of the British government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Social Services.-History:...
(1971–1973) as a Supplementary Benefit
Supplementary Benefit
Supplementary Benefit was a means-tested benefit in the United Kingdom, paid to people on low incomes, whether or not they were classed as unemployed. Introduced in November 1966, it replaced the earlier system of discretionary National Assistance payments and was intended to 'top-up' other...
s Visiting Officer in east London. From there he went on to study Geography (African & Asian Studies) at Sussex University, (1973–1976). It was while at University, that he became a Christian. After graduation Sizer worked as a Campus Director/student counsellor with Agape
Agape
Agape is one of the Greek words translated into English as love, one which became particularly appropriated in Christian theology as the love of God or Christ for mankind. In the New Testament, it refers to the fatherly love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God; the term...
at the Universities of London, Liverpool and Sussex. In 1980 he was accepted for training as a minister in the Church of England and gained a Diploma in Theology at Trinity College Bristol. In 1983 he was ordained and became an Assistant Curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
for St. Leonard's in St Leonards-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea is part of Hastings, East Sussex, England, lying immediately to the west of the centre. The original part of the settlement was laid out in the early 19th century as a new town: a place of elegant houses designed for the well-off; it also included a central public garden, a...
, then was appointed Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
at St. John's, Stoke, Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
in 1986. He gained a MA
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
in Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
from Oxford University in 1994. After 11 years at St John's, in 1997 he became the Vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of http://www.cc-vw.org/index.php?id=1&level=1/Christchurch, Virginia Water
Virginia Water
Virginia Water is an affluent village, a lake and, originally, a stream, the village being in the Runnymede Borough Council in Surrey and the bodies of water stretching over the borders of Runnymede, Old Windsor and Sunninghill and Ascot, England....
], where he is now incumbent
Incumbent (ecclesiastical)
In Anglican canon law, the incumbent of a benefice, usually the parish priest, holds the temporalities or assets and income.Depending on the terms of governance of each parish an incumbent might be either:...
. He continued to study and was awarded a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Oak Hill Theological College
Oak Hill Theological College
Oak Hill College is a theological college located on Chase Side in Southgate, London, England. It is one of the largest seminaries in the UK....
and Middlesex University
Middlesex University
Middlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
in 2003.
General Beliefs
Stephen Sizer is a conservative evangelical and has aligned with a number of related organisations. He is a member of Reform (Anglican)Reform (Anglican)
Reform is an Evangelical organisation within Anglicanism, active in the Church of England and the Church of Ireland. Reform in England describes itself as a "network of churches and individuals within the Church of England, committed to the reform of ourselves, our congregation and our world by the...
, Anglican Mainstream, and the Church Society
Church Society
Church Society is a conservative evangelical Anglican organisation, and registered charity, formed in 1950 by the merger of the Anglican Church Association and National Church League ....
. He has endorsed the Jerusalem Declaration issued by the Global Anglican Future Conference
Global Anglican Future Conference
The Global Anglican Future Conference was a seven day conference of conservative Anglican bishops and leaders held in Jerusalem in June 2008 to address the rise of secularism in the Church, HIV/AIDS and poverty. As a result of the Conference, the Jerusalem Declaration was issued, and the...
and has joined the resulting Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. He supports the Third Province Movementhttp://www.thirdprovince.org.uk.
Sizer's Position
Dr Sizer has spent many years studying the theologyTheology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
of the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and has travelled extensively throughout the region.
He opposes Christian Zionism, as he holds to a Covenantal overview and literal
Biblical literalism
Biblical literalism is the interpretation or translation of the explicit and primary sense of words in the Bible. A literal Biblical interpretation is associated with the fundamentalist and evangelical hermeneutical approach to Scripture, and is used almost exclusively by conservative Christians...
hermeneutic for the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. He has received criticism for supporting divestment
Divestment
In finance and economics, divestment or divestiture is the reduction of some kind of asset for either financial or ethical objectives or sale of an existing business by a firm...
from Western companies profiting from Israeli Jewish presence in territories claimed also by the Palestinian
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
Arabs, and for promoting the view that the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
merely reinterprets or leads to a new understanding of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
.
In 2004, Sizer adapted his PhD thesis into a book, Christian Zionism - Road Map to Armageddon?. He claims that Christian Zionism infused with the neoconservative
Neoconservatism
Neoconservatism in the United States is a branch of American conservatism. Since 2001, neoconservatism has been associated with democracy promotion, that is with assisting movements for democracy, in some cases by economic sanctions or military action....
political ideology has led millions of Christians astray and helped to tip the world on its side heavy with military artillery.
Sizer believes that Christian Zionism
Christian Zionism
Christian Zionism is a belief among some Christians that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, is in accordance with Biblical prophecy. It overlaps with, but is distinct from, the nineteenth century movement for the Restoration of the Jews...
plays an important and dangerous role in the politics of the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, shaping U.S. foreign policy. He argues that Christian Zionism has no biblical foundation or historical precedent.
The media present this as a clash between two cultures, Palestinian and Israeli, or Oriental and Western. As I hope to show, the convictions of Christian Zionists have made a significant contribution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Advocates argue that Christian Zionism is born out of the conviction that God has a continuing special relationship with, and covenental purpose for, the Jewish people, apart from the church, and that the Jewish people have a divine right to possess the land of Palestine. This is based on a literal and futurist interpretation of the Bible and the conviction that Old Testament prophecies concerning the Jewish people are being fulfilled in the contemporary State of Israel.
He disputes the latter view in several books and articles on the subject, claiming that the current size and disposition of the state of Israel pose an existential threat to Palestinian Arabs.
My motivation for this book lies in the conviction deeply held, that for Western Christians, especially evangelicals, to ignore or stereotype their Palestinian brothers and sisters, now threatened with extinction, is not only deeply offensive, it is surely a contradiction of our faith, and ultimately immoral before God. It is nothing less than to perpetuate the evil of the Levite in the Parable of the Good Samaritan who walked by on the other side.
He followed this in 2007 with Zion's Christian Soldiers, arguing that Christian Zionism has morphed the view of Jesus held by professing Christians in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from a man of peace to a militant, anti-Arab
Anti-Arabism
Anti-Arabism or Arabophobia is consistent advocacy of discrimination, extermination, prejudice, hostility, hatred, or genocide toward Arabs.-Arab definition:...
crusader.
"It is...irresponsible to suggest that God will bless us materially if we support the largely secular State of Israel, especially when this invariably means ignoring the plight of the indigenous Christian population of Palestine."
Even more controversially, he has appeared on Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian state television
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
to discuss what he views as the problem of Christian sympathies toward the modern state of Israel.
"when people like Theodore Herzl began to speculate about a Jewish state, it was the Christian community that assisted him to get a hearing among the governments of Europe".
In his writings, while staunchly opposing Christian Zionism and charging Israel with institutionalised racial oppression and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations, Sizer is also careful to repudiate antisemitism and other forms of racism:
I affirm the right of the State of Israel to exist within secure and internationally recognized borders. Sadly the evidence shows that Israel is a racist and apartheid state. The UN World Conference on Racism, together with US State Country Report, have highlighted the institutional racism within Israeli society. The South African ruling ANC, the Jewish human rights organisation B’Tselem, as well as leading Jewish academics such as Noam ChomskyNoam ChomskyAvram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
. . .have all made similar comparisons between South African and Israeli apartheid. I do not regard such views as anti-Semitic.
It is true that at various times in the past, churches and church leaders have tolerated or incited anti-Semitism and even attacks on Jewish people. Racism is a sin and without excuse. Anti-Semitism must be repudiated unequivocally. However, we must not confuse apples and oranges. Anti-Zionism is not the same thing as anti-Semitism despite attempts to broaden the definition. Criticising a political system as racist is not necessarily racist. Judaism is a religious system. Israel is a sovereign nation. Zionism is a political system. These three are not synonymous. I respect Judaism, repudiate anti-Semitism, encourage interfaith dialogue and defend Israel's right to exist within borders recognised by the international community and agreed with her neighbours. But like many Jews, I disagree with a political system which gives preference to expatriate Jews born elsewhere in the world, while denying the same rights to the Arab Palestinians born in the country itself."
Sizer's focus on the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
, in particular Jerusalem, the Temple Mount
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as , and in Arabic as the Haram Ash-Sharif , is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years...
, and the future of the world juxtaposed with the current political climate and neoconservative ideology aims to change the views of many American Christians whom he sees as having been led astray by the "heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
" of dispensationalism
Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism is a nineteenth-century evangelical development based on a futurist biblical hermeneutic that sees a series of chronologically successive "dispensations" or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants.As a system,...
, as popularly supported by John Hagee
John Hagee
John Charles Hagee is an American founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, a non-denominational charismatic megachurch with more than 19,000 active members...
of Christians United for Israel
Christians United For Israel
Christians United for Israel is an American pro-Israel Christian organization that defines itself as "a national grassroots movement focused on the support of Israel." It is the "largest" pro-Israel organization in the United States....
, prophecy teacher Hal Lindsay, and Left Behind
Left Behind
Left Behind is a series of 16 best-selling novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatological viewpoint of the end of the world. The primary conflict of the series is the members of the Tribulation...
coauthor Tim LaHaye
Tim LaHaye
Timothy F. LaHaye is an American evangelical Christian minister, author, and speaker. He is best known for the Left Behind series of apocalyptic fiction, which he co-wrote with Jerry B. Jenkins. He has written over 50 books, both fiction and non-fiction.-Early life:LaHaye was born in Detroit,...
.
Sizer has shared a platform with Neturei Karta
Neturei Karta
Neturei Karta is a Haredi Jewish group formally created in Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine, in 1938, splitting off from Agudas Yisroel...
, a radically anti-Zionist
Anti-Zionism
Anti-Zionism is opposition to Zionistic views or opposition to the state of Israel. The term is used to describe various religious, moral and political points of view in opposition to these, but their diversity of motivation and expression is sufficiently different that "anti-Zionism" cannot be...
Jewish organisation apart of mainstream Judaism which has allegedly condoned Palestinian political violence
Palestinian political violence
Palestinian political violence refers to acts of violence undertaken to further the Palestinian cause. These political objectives include self-determination in and sovereignty over Palestine, the liberation of Palestine and establishment of a Palestinian state, either in place of both Israel and...
against Israelis.
Reception
Sizer's views on the Middle East have proven controversial. Christian and Jewish reactions range from qualified approval to emphatic denunciation.Christian response
In the Christian world, some of Sizer's writings have been commended by Christians who embrace ReformedCalvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
covenant theology
Covenant Theology
Covenant theology is a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall flow of the Bible...
, including leaders and academics such as John Stott
John Stott
John Robert Walmsley Stott CBE was an English Christian leader and Anglican cleric who was noted as a leader of the worldwide Evangelical movement. He was one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974...
(Stott's essay "The Place of Israel" is included in Sizer's Book "Zion's Christian Soldiers?"), R. C. Lucas
R. C. Lucas
Richard Charles "Dick" Lucas is an Anglican evangelical cleric, best known for his long ministry at St Helen's Bishopsgate in London, England. He is also known as a founder of the Proclamation Trust and the Cornhill Training Course. He is the author of a number of evangelical books and commentaries...
, Gary Burge, Gilbert Bilezikian, Stephen Travis, and Paul Copan
Paul Copan
Paul Copan is a Ukrainian-American Christian theologian, analytic philosopher, apologist, and author. He is currently a professor at the Palm Beach Atlantic University and holds the Pledger Family Endowed Chair of Philosophy and Ethics...
.
Other Christians have taken the contrary opinion. Some reviews of Christian Zionism - Road Map to Armageddon? have been highly critical. A prominent Christian opponent of Sizer, however, is renowned Bible teacher David Pawson
David Pawson
J. David Pawson is a prominent Bible teacher based in Great Britain. He is the author of more than thirty books.-Biography:According to his autobiography, Pawson's immediate ancestors were all farmers, Methodist preachers or both - dating back to John Pawson, a friend and follower of John Wesley....
, who wrote a book called Defending Christian Zionism - in response to Steven Sizer and John Stott. Pawson has said of Sizer:
“I am grateful to Stephen Sizer for drawing attention to the legitimate criticisms of dispensational Zionism. He has rendered a service to the cause of Zionism which was needed.”
Pawson publicly debated Sizer on Premier Christian Radio
Premier Christian Radio
Premier Christian Radio is a British Christian radio station wholly owned by the charity Premier Christian Media Trust.Premier Christian Radio broadcasts Christian programming including news, debate, teachings and Christian music to London and the surrounding areas.It operates on three frequencies...
.
Other Christian authors who have criticised Sizer include Barry Horner and Paul Wilkinson, leaders of Christian missions to the Jewish people such as Mike Moore, General Secretary of Christian Witness to Israel, and Tony Higton. Later, having met Sizer, Tony Higton largely retracted his view and wrote:
“After years of sparring, Stephen Sizer and I met up and found we had wide areas of agreement. Having worked in Jewish ministry for seven years, half of them in Jerusalem, I have seen the best and worst of Christian Zionism. Insofar as it combats anti-Semitism, defends the existence of a safe homeland for Jewish people, promotes evangelism among Jewish people, and supports reconciliation in the Holy Land, it is good. However, Sizer is right to criticize the serious failings of some Christian Zionism. I agree with him in rejecting the following errors which are held by many Christian Zionists:
Lack of godly compassion for the Palestinians, and of concern for their human rights and about their legitimate aspirations.
A negative attitude toward Palestinians, and Arabs in general, to the point of racism.
Uncritical support for Israel (a secular, sinful state like any other), justifying all its actions against the Palestinians.
Neglecting or even opposing and forbidding evangelism of Israelis, sometimes believing that Jewish people can experience salvation through Judaism.
Being more interested in the fulfilment of prophecy than in application of kingdom principles such as justice and reconciliation.
Opposing the peace process.
Sometimes advocating the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the Holy Land.
Sometimes supporting the rebuilding of the temple regardless of the problematic theological implications and the danger of provoking extreme violence.”
The General Director of the Church's Ministry Among Jewish People has also rejected Sizer's approach.
Jewish response
Some members of the Jewish community have regarded Sizer's works as examples of Christian antisemitism. U.K.United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
journalist Melanie Phillips
Melanie Phillips
Melanie Phillips is a British journalist and author. She began her career on the left of the political spectrum, writing for such publications as The Guardian and New Statesman. In the 1990s she moved to the right, and she now writes for the Daily Mail newspaper, covering political and social...
is a notable Jewish critic of Sizer and has condemned him in her writings. British Jewish historian Geoffrey Alderman
Geoffrey Alderman
Geoffrey Alderman is a British historian, especially of the Jewish community in England in the 19th and 20th centuries, and also an academic, political adviser and award-winning journalist.-Life:...
has also warned against Sizer, criticising him for masking his religious prejudice in "academic guise." Jewish Christians
Jewish Christians
Jewish Christians is a term which appears in historical texts contrasting Christians of Jewish origin with Gentile Christians, both in discussion of the New Testament church and the second and following centuries....
and Messianic Jews
Messianic Judaism
Messianic Judaism is a syncretic religious movement that arose in the 1960s and 70s. It blends evangelical Christian theology with elements of Jewish terminology and ritual....
such as Aaron Abramson and Jacob Prasch have also expressed their strong disagreement with Sizer's views.
Sizer's books have been endorsed by controversial Jewish academics such as the Reform Jewish
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
Rabbi Dan Cohn-Sherbok
Dan Cohn-Sherbok
Dan Cohn-Sherbok is a rabbi of Reform Judaism, a Jewish theologian and a prolific author on religion. He is Professor Emeritus of Judaism at the University of Wales, Honorary Professor at the University of Abersystwyth, Visiting Professor at St Mary's University College, London, York St John...
and Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
historian Norton Mezvinsky
Norton Mezvinsky
Norton Mezvinsky is a historian. He is a Distinguished University Professor, Emeritus, Connecticut State University and is the president of the International Council for Middle East Studies, Inc., a new academic think tank in Washington, D.C. He has written numerous published books, articles and...
.
External Roles
Dr Sizer is a member of the Executive of the Guildford Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship and a member of Guildford Diocesan Synod. He is a trustee and former chairman of the International Bible SocietyInternational Bible Society
Biblica, formerly named named IBS-STL Biblica, formerly named named IBS-STL Biblica, formerly named named IBS-STL (from a merger of International Bible Society (IBS) and Send the Light (STL), has its headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is a nonprofit Christian organization that...
UK, publishers of the New International Version
New International Version
The New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan in the United States and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, it has become one of the most popular modern translations in history.-History:...
, the most widely read English Bible. He has served as an external examiner for post-graduate degrees (MPhil and PhD) awarded by the University of Wales through the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (OCMS), and Tyndale-Carey Graduate School, Bible College of New Zealand. He is a trainer for the Christianity Explored
Christianity Explored
Christianity Explored is an informal Christian evangelistic teaching course developed by Rico Tice and Barry Cooper at All Souls Church, Langham Place, a leading evangelical Church of England church, and published by The Good Book Company....
course and has visited Uganda and Kenya in this regard.
Sizer's other external positions relate to his interest in Peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
. He is a founding member of the Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism, a member of the Advisory Council of Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding, a Trustee of the Amos Trust and on the UK Board of Reference for the Mar Elias Educational Institutions in Ibillin, Galilee. He is also on the editorial board of Living Stones Magazine.
Censorship incident
On 29 November 2009, Joseph Weissman, a 23 year-old graduate student at Leeds University was visited by police officers at his home. Weissman had created a blog under the name "Seismic Shock" which had criticised Sizer's anti-Zionist views and alleged links to extremists. The police were acting on compaints of harassment made by Sizer and a lecturer at the Wales Evangelical School of Theology, Dr Anthony McRoy. No legal action was taken against Weissman, but it was reported that he voluntarily removed the blog following the visit. News of the incident, referred to as "Sizergate" by some commentators, broke in January 2010 and rapidly spread throughout the blogging community. Sizer and McRoy were widely accused of censoring Weissman's views, but the Streisand effectStreisand effect
The Streisand effect is a primarily online phenomenon in which an attempt to hide or remove a piece of information has the unintended consequence of publicizing the information more widely...
raised awareness of the dispute between Sizer and Weissman to a far greater level than it previously had.
Additional information
Sizer regularly contributes articles for newspapers and journals including Evangelicals NowEvangelicals Now
Evangelicals Now is a monthly evangelical Christian newspaper based in Surrey, England. The magazine was started in 1986 by Bob Horn, and the current editor is John Benton, who is also the pastor of Chertsey Street Baptist Church in Guildford...
, Third Way
Third way (centrism)
The Third Way refers to various political positions which try to reconcile right-wing and left-wing politics by advocating a varying synthesis of right-wing economic and left-wing social policies. Third Way approaches are commonly viewed from within the first- and second-way perspectives as...
, The Christian Research Journal, Living Stones, Sojourners, Plain Truth
Plain Truth
Plain Truth is a novel written by Jodi Picoult about a murder on an Amish farm, first published in 2001.-Plot summary:The book tells the story of how a dead infant found on an Amish farm shakes the entire community. As the police investigate the death, they discover that the baby was not stillborn,...
and Friends of Al Aqsa. He is a regular contributor to programmes on Premier Radio
Premier Radio
Premier Radio may refer to:* Premier Christian Radio, a radio network in the United Kingdom which broadcasts Christian programming* Premiere Radio Networks, a radio network in the United States which syndicates talk and other programming to radio stations...
, Press TV
Press TV
Press TV is a 24-hour English language global news network owned by the Iranian government. Its headquarters are located in Tehran, Iran, with bureaux in Beirut , Damascus , London , Seoul and Washington DC ....
; and the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcaster, or IRIB, , formerly called the National Iranian Radio and Television until the Islamic revolution of 1979, is a giant Iranian corporation in control of radio and television which is among the largest media organizations in Asia and Pacific region, and a regular...
(IRIB). He has also appeared on BBC2 Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
, Syrian TV and Al Manar TV. In recent years he has lectured at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, London, Glasgow, Manchester, Leicester, SOAS, George Washington, North Park Chicago, Baylor, Palm Beach Atlantic, Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Shahreza, Qom, Jakarta, Petra, Beirut and Cairo. He has also lectured at the Oxford Centre of Mission Studies, Oak Hill College, Wycliffe Hall, Tyndale House
Tyndale House
Tyndale House is a publisher founded in 1962 by Kenneth N. Taylor, in order to publish his paraphrase of the Epistles, which he had composed while commuting to work at Moody Press in Chicago. The book appeared under the title Living Letters, and received a television endorsement from Billy Graham...
, the Cornhill Training Course (CTC), for Tearfund
Tearfund
Tearfund is a UK Christian relief and development agency which works in over 50 countries. It is a founding member of both the Micah Network and the Disasters Emergency Committee.-History:...
, the Islamic Human Rights Commission
Islamic Human Rights Commission
The Islamic Human Rights Commission is a non-profit organization. Its stated mission is to, "... work with different organizations from Muslim and non-Muslim backgrounds, to campaign for justice for all peoples regardless of their racial, confessional or political background.". The group is...
, Cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
and Greenbelt.
Dr Sizer is also a photographer and has contributed to two large format books of the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
.
Author
- A Panorama of the Holy Land, with Jon Arnold, Eagle, 1998-10-23, ISBN 9780863471711
- A Panorama of the Bible Lands, with Jon Arnold, Eagle, 2002-09-17, ISBN 9780863473531
- In The Footsteps of Jesus and the Apostles, with Jon Arnold, Eagle, 2003–11, ISBN 9780863475832
- Christian Zionism: Road Map to Armageddon?, Inter-Varsity PressInter-Varsity PressInterVarsity Press is a publisher of evangelical Christian books. IVP is linked to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and is headquartered in Westmont, Illinois.-History:...
, 2004-11-26, ISBN 9781844740505 - Zion's Christian Soldiers, Inter-Varsity PressInter-Varsity PressInterVarsity Press is a publisher of evangelical Christian books. IVP is linked to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and is headquartered in Westmont, Illinois.-History:...
, 2007-10-19, ISBN 9781844742141
Contributor
- Holy Land Hollow Jubilee: God, Justice and the Palestinians, eds. N. Ateek & M. Prior, Melisende, 1999-03-02, ISBN 9781901764093
- They Came and They Saw: Western Christian Experiences of the Holy Land, ed. M. Prior, Melisende, 2000-03-13, ISBN 9781901764406
- A Third Millennium Guide to Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, ed. D. Macpherson, Melisende, 2000-06-28, ISBN 9781901764307
- The Land of Promise: Biblical, Theological, and Contemporary Perspectives, eds. Philip Johnson & Peter Walker, Inter-Varsity PressInter-Varsity PressInterVarsity Press is a publisher of evangelical Christian books. IVP is linked to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and is headquartered in Westmont, Illinois.-History:...
, 2000-11-24, ISBN 9780830826599 - Toronto in Perspective: Papers on the New Charismatic Wave of the Mid 1990s, ed. David Hilborn, Paternoster PressPaternoster PressPaternoster Press is a British Christian publishing house which was founded by Howard Mudditt in 1936. Mudditt was a Bank of England clerk who decided to move into publishing after seeing the many publishers based on London's Paternoster Row during his lunch hours; the firm was named after the...
, 2001-30-09, ISBN 9781842270998 - Speaking the Truth about Zionism and Israel, ed. Michael Prior, Melisende, 2004-03-30, ISBN 9781901764260
- Heaven on Earth: The Temple in Biblical Theology, eds. D. Alexander & S. Gathercole, Paternoster PressPaternoster PressPaternoster Press is a British Christian publishing house which was founded by Howard Mudditt in 1936. Mudditt was a Bank of England clerk who decided to move into publishing after seeing the many publishers based on London's Paternoster Row during his lunch hours; the firm was named after the...
, 2004-07-23, ISBN 9781842272725 - Challenging Christian Zionism, eds. Naim Ateek, Cedar Duaybis, Maurine Tobin, Melisende, 2005-09-20, ISBN 9781901764420
See also
- Anti-ZionismAnti-ZionismAnti-Zionism is opposition to Zionistic views or opposition to the state of Israel. The term is used to describe various religious, moral and political points of view in opposition to these, but their diversity of motivation and expression is sufficiently different that "anti-Zionism" cannot be...
- Arab-Israeli conflict
- Christian ZionismChristian ZionismChristian Zionism is a belief among some Christians that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, is in accordance with Biblical prophecy. It overlaps with, but is distinct from, the nineteenth century movement for the Restoration of the Jews...
- Christian Zionism in the United KingdomChristian Zionism in the United KingdomChristian Zionism in the United Kingdom is a Christian ideology that sees the return of the Jews to the Holy Land as a fulfilment of scriptural prophecy...
- Covenant theologyCovenant TheologyCovenant theology is a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall flow of the Bible...
- Criticism of the Israeli governmentCriticism of the Israeli governmentCriticism of the Israeli government, often referred to simply as criticism of Israel is an ongoing subject of journalistic and scholarly commentary and research within the scope of International relations theory, expressed in terms of political science...
- DispensationalismDispensationalismDispensationalism is a nineteenth-century evangelical development based on a futurist biblical hermeneutic that sees a series of chronologically successive "dispensations" or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants.As a system,...
- Israel and the apartheid analogy
- Palestinian peoplePalestinian peopleThe Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
External links
- Personal Website
- Christ Church Virginia Water
- International Bible Society
- Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism
- Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding
- Amos Trust
- Ecumenical Palestinian Liberation Theology Centre
- Friends of Sabeel (North America) - Voice of the Palestinian Christians
- Living Stones Magazine
- Middle East Window