Israel Matters: Why Christians Must Think Differently about the People and the Land

Friends –

It’s not often that I read a book that I feel so strongly about that I decide to offer it from my own website store. I just did this for

Israel Matters:

Why Christians Must Think Differently about the People and the Land

by Gerald McDermott
(Brazos Press, 2017)
List ($22.00) ($14.99)

Why? After the October 7 attack, I was grieved by the lack of concern that many Christians had for Jews and the people of Israel. A major misreading of the Bible is going on called “supersessionism.”

The place I really noticed this widespread ignorance and apathy toward Israel is in the mainline church, which I am still a part of. I attend a Reformed church, which has unfortunately has not gotten beyond the idea that God’s promises to the Jewish people became null and void with the coming of Christ. The Gentile church has become the “New Israel” and recipient of all God’s promises. If you read Romans 10-12, however, you find Paul saying just the opposite. Despite this, supersessionism (or “replacement theology”) has been the standard theological approach of many mainline churches until now.

Gerald McDermott, author of Israel Matters, is a widely-respected Anglican scholar who taught theology this way himself for years, but then realized that he had been making several errors because of his ignorance of the Jewish context of the New Testament. This book is a persuasive, readable, brief introduction to the topic. He tells his own story and then grapples with thorny questions regarding the history of the Jewish people and political issues regarding the current nation of Israel.

Many of my readers don’t come from a mainline church background like mine, but you might have friends who do. This is a really good book to share with them, or a pastor who wants to think biblically about Israel and the Jewish people today. It doesn’t just cheer blindly for the state of Israel, but takes a careful look at the text of the New Testament and the theological issues involved. I’m selling it for quite a discount ($7 off), especially for group orders of 10 or more ($12/book, which is $10 off)!

Read a pdf sample

List price $22.00 ($14.99)

To purchase 10 or more ($12 each) see this page.