The political restoration of Jews originated as a Christian millenarian idea

Evidence

Raz-Krakotzkin emphasizes that the idea of the modern political restoration of the Jews as a Western vision was first developed by Christian millenarians in the seventeenth century, as they believed that a precondition for the messianic scenario of the Second Coming was the return of the Jews to the Holy Land. It is in this context that the term “the state of Israel” first appeared, interestingly at the same period that the concept of the “state” became central to philosophical discussions. Thus Zionism, as the secularization of the Jews, is a realization of Christian millenarian perception – a Jewish secular realization of a Christian theological concept. — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 149

Categorization

• XREF: Contradicts or complicates primordialist accounts of Zionism as an indigenous Jewish idea; connects to broader literature on how imperial Christian theology seeded modern nationalism. — connects to: Christian millenarians first described Jewish redemption in modern political terms; Jewish nationalization realized rather than abandoned Christian millenarian theology — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized:…, 339; The phrase ‘state of Israel’ began as a Christian millenarian term in the 1600s — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized:…, 336 (+1 more)
• QUESTION: Deeper question: if nationalist movements routinely inherit theological blueprints from the group they define themselves against (Jewish Zionism from Christian millenarianism), what does that say about the ‘primordial identity’ sustaining group solidarity?

Broader Connections

• Christian millenarians first described Jewish redemption in modern political terms #corroborates (0.95)
• The phrase ‘state of Israel’ began as a Christian millenarian term in the 1600s #exemplifies (0.85) — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 336
• Jewish nationalization realized rather than abandoned Christian millenarian theology #corroborates (0.80) — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 339
• Jewish nationalism adopted the Christian West’s secularized image of the ancient Hebrews #corroborates (0.80) — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 335