The Pentecostal Mission in Palestine: The Legacy of Pentecostal Zionism

Synopsis: The Pentecostal mission in Palestine is a virtually unknown episode in the history of Pentecostalism. Its story begins in 1906 at the Azusa Street Revival from which missionaries were sent to Palestine. In its first thirty years the Pentecostal mission in Palestine gained a foothold in Jerusalem and expanded its reach into Jordan Syria and Iran. It was severely tested and lost traction during the tumultuous period of the Arab Revolts World War II and the Partition Crisis. With the catastrophic war of 1948 the Pentecostal missionaries fled as their Arab clients were swept away in the Palestinian Diaspora. After 1948 a valiant attempt was made to revive the mission but only with relative success. Although the Pentecostal missionaries failed in their objective of converting Jews and Muslims they were eyewitnesses of the formative events of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Newberg argues that the Pentecostal missionaries functioned as brokers of Pentecostal Zionism. He offers a postcolonial assessment of the Pentecostal missionaries crediting them for advocating philosemitism yet bringing them up short for disregarding the civil rights of Palestinian Arabs espousing Islamophobia and contributing to the forces working against peace in the Holy Land. Endorsements: Newberg is a historian theologian and gifted storyteller who has crafted a fascinating account of the Pentecostal mission in Palestine. This book is the first historical account of Pentecostal missionaries to Jews and Muslims; it is the first theological portrayal of Pentecostal Zionism; and it is an astute contribution to peace and justice that should be read beyond the realm of the Pentecostal movement. --Wolfgang Vondey Associate Professor of Systematic Theology Regent University Author Beyond Pentecostalism: The Crisis of Global Christianity and the Renewal of the Theological Agenda (2010) Students of global events know the importance of the Middle East. Pentecostals have often been well intentioned in their support of Jewish people based upon the promise in Genesis 12:3. Yet their embrace of Zionism has often been naive and uncritical. Newberg outlines this Pentecostal-Zionist history including the Arab side of this story. This important retelling challenges current Pentecostal participation in Islamophobia human rights abuses and a languishing peace process. It begs for a thoughtful Pentecostal response. --Cecil M. Robeck Jr. Professor of Church History and Ecumenics and Director of the David du Plessis Center for Christian Spirituality Fuller Theological Seminary Eric Newberg sets a new and exceedingly high standard for Pentecostal historiography in a late modern and postcolonial context. The hagiographic propensities of earlier insider accounts are here replaced by a sophisticated and sympathetic but yet not uncritical examination that sheds light on and interrogates both Pentecostal mission history and contemporary global Pentecostal attitudes to Jerusalem Israel and the Middle East. Historians and all others interested in the present Arab-Israeli crisis are urged to read this groundbreaking book. --Amos Yong J. Rodman Williams Professor of Theology Regent University Author The Spirit of Creation: Modern Science and Divine Action in the Pentecostal-Charismatic Imagination (2011) This is an excellent work that should be read and used widely especially by those who desire peace with justice for both Israelis and Palestinians. --Paul Alexander Professor of Social Ethics Palmer Theological Seminary Eastern University Author Peace to War: Shifting Allegiances in the Assemblies of God (2009) Author Biography: Eric N. Newberg is Associate Professor of Theological and Historical Studies at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa.