To help us, as Christians, have a clear understanding of modern-day Israel and how it relates to the Bible, we have asked one of the nation’s foremost authorities on the subject onto the podcast.
Dr. Gary Burge (Ph.D., from King’s College at the University of Aberdeen, and M.Div., from Fuller Theological Seminary) is a New Testament scholar, professor, author, and ordained minister. After 25 years teaching at Wheaton College and Graduate School, he is now Adjunct Professor of New Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary.
Gary has written biblical commentaries and scholarly books on the New Testament. He has also tackled the theological and practical issues surrounding the people and the land of Israel and Palestine.
In Jesus and the Land: The New Testament Challenge to "Holy Land" Theology (Baker Academic, 2010), Dr. Burge meticulously studies the Scriptures to challenge the “territorial theology” that some Christians have been trained to believe due to the lingering effects of Dispesationalism and the political lobbying of Christian Zionists. He describes first-century Jewish and Christian beliefs about the land of Israel and offers a full survey of New Testament passages that directly address the question of land and faith.
Gary Burge’s other book on the topic is Whose Land? Whose Promise?: What Christians Are Not Being Told about Israel and the Palestinians (Pilgrim Press, 2003, Revised 2013). This book explores the history and conflicts of modern-day Israel and Palestine and also provides a study of what both the Old Testament and New Testament teach about Israel and the promised land. In this book, he also tells personal stories stemming from his many years visiting the people who struggle to live in this war-torn land, including the friendships he’s made with the people of God found in Palestine, that is, the many Christians who have suffered under Israeli persecution.
You can purchase Dr. Gary Burge's books from independent booksellers Byron and Beth Borger at Hearts & Minds Bookstore. Order online through their secure server or call 717-246-333. Mention that you heard about this book on the Reintegrate Podcast and get 20% off.
Thanks for listening!
Please share this podcast with your friends.
Your hosts are Dr. Bob Robinson and David Loughney.
Go to re-integrate.org for the latest articles on reintegrating your callings with God’s mission and online resources for further learning. You can also find out about a Bible study book that you can use in your small group or individual devotions: Reintegrate Your Vocation with God's Mission.
You’ll find more episodes and ways to contact Bob and David on Reintegrate's podcast page.
