The Acts of Convention

House of Bishops

The House of Bishops Committee on Social Justice and International Policy presented its Report #4 on Resolution C012 (Confronting Christian Zionism) and moved to refer the resolution to an interim body.

Original Text of Resolution:

(C012)

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, 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.

Committee Amendment:

Resolved,  the House of Deputies concurring, 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 80th General 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 this 80th General Convention, 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 ; and that, the Episcopal Church commit to making clear in liturgy and in teaching the clear distinction between the current political situation and the Biblical past.

The Rt. Rev. Peter Eaton, Diocese of Southeast Florida, moved to refer the resolution to an interim body.

Motion carried

Resolution referred to an interim body

(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message #154)