Bad Theology: Busted

This month we're diving into one of the most pervasive and dangerous distortions in American religious and political discourse: the problem of Zionism in US media and publishing. In conversations about Palestine and Israel, many people encounter not just facts on the ground, but carefully shaped narratives about identity, history, and morality. One term that comes up in this context is “hasbara,” Israel’s approach to public diplomacy—how the state explains and justifies its actions to the world. For everyday media consumers, these narratives don’t always arrive labeled or obvious. They’re woven into news coverage, social media, political rhetoric, and faith-based discussions, sometimes carrying theological undertones or moral framing that can be hard to parse in real time. The distorted theological language of Christian Zionism is one such manifestation of Israeli Hasbara. For decades, we've seen how the narrative around Palestine gets shaped by powerful interests, with religious language often weaponized to legitimize the illegal Israeli occupation, apartheid, and ongoing genocide. Resources Mentioned Times of Israel article on Gaza Encampment at Columbia The Atlantic magazine article How To Sell A Genocide , Adam Johnson America’s Misadventures in the Middle East , Chas W. Freeman Jr. History of Zionism from 1600-1918 , Nahum Sokolow Public Opinion , Walter Lippmann “ The Problem with Passover, ” Harriet Malinowitz “New public diplomacy” The Network approach The Nation Mondoweiss Middle East Monitor The Electronic Intifada Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) Fairness Doctrine in FCC Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming Hasbara Handbook: Promoting Israel on Campus The Global Language Dictionary The Complicit Lens: The US Establishment Media’s Role in the Gaza Genocide Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual , Michael Pollan Makdisi Street Podcast Support the show Credits: Original music: Karl Saint Lucy & Danny Frye (feat. Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac) - “The Path Forward” Produced, written, and performed by: Karl Saint Lucy (ASCAP) & Danny Frye (BMI) Featuring sampled speech by: Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac Drums, mixing, and mastering: Danny Frye Keyboards and programming: Karl Saint Lucy Logo design: Dee Roberts

This month we sat down with Rev. Gerlyn Henry, Dr. Christine Pae, and Jessica Sun to talk about the manifestations of Christian Zionism within Asian and Asian American communities. On the one hand, Christian Zionism in Asia is a growing movement that combines a dispensationalist end-times theology with strong support for Israel. On the other hand, many minority and tribal communities in Asia have found common cause with the Palestinian people, finding many parallels between the situation in Palestine and their own respective struggles. During this episode we will dive deeper into a seemingly contradictory set of realities to gain a clearer understanding of what Christian Zionism looks like in Asian and Asian American communities. Resources Mentioned Contending Modernities — https://contendingmodernities.nd.edu/global-currents/reflections-gaza-global-south/ A Transpacific Imagination of Theology, Ethics, and Spiritual Activism: Doing Feminist Ethics Transnationally by Keun-joo Christine Pae via VitalSource Embodying Antiracist Christianity: Asian American Theological Resources for Just Racial Relations ed. Keun-joo Christine Pae, Boyung Lee via SpringerLink Searching for the Future in the Past: Renewing Feminist Theological Voices ed. Keun-joo Christine Pae and Kathleen T. Talvacchia via Bloomsbury Theology after Gaza: a global anthology ed. Mitri Raheb and Graham McGeoch via Wipf & Stock Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment by Mazin B. Qumsiyeh via Pluto Press An Asian American Theology of Liberation by Wong Tian An ebook available via Amazon Black Theology and Black Power by James Cone via Orbis Books Teología de la Liberación / A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation by Gustavo Gutiérrez via Orbis Books Beyond God the Father: Toward a Philosophy of Women's Liberation by Mary Daly via Beacon Press The Contemporary Way of the Cross (Sabeel) via FOSNA bookstore Orientalism by Edward Said via Penguin Random House Support the show Credits: Original music: Karl Saint Lucy & Danny Frye (feat. Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac) - “The Path Forward” Produced, written, and performed by: Karl Saint Lucy (ASCAP) & Danny Frye (BMI) Featuring sampled speech by: Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac Drums, mixing, and mastering: Danny Frye Keyboards and programming: Karl Saint Lucy Logo design: Dee Roberts

Today, on the 78th Nakba Day (May 15, 2026), we welcome Mark Charles, Shadia Qubti, and Rev. Dr. Robert O. Smith to the podcast, each representing different Indigenous perspectives on the problem of Christian Zionism and what can be done to give people alternative theological positions to grab ahold of. In Season 1, Episode 4 of the podcast, Rev. Emilee Walker-Cornetta said that, “we’ve been disciplined to not seriously engage our own history of settler colonialism, genocide, and enslavement…and that we’re still enchanted by our own narrative of Manifest Destiny” and that’s what we’re going to focus on in this episode. How has the United States’ refusal to seriously critique our own foundation story impacted people’s willingness to look past the suffering of the Palestinian people? It’s so easy for people to look abroad and see horrors in far away places, but to admit the same in our own backyard is more difficult for people encultured within “American exceptionalism.” FOSNA Nakba Day 78: A Solidarity Toolkit Resources Mentioned Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery purchase via InterVarsity Press More Desired than Our Owne Salvation: The Roots of Christian Zionism purchase via Oxford University Press Comprehending Christian Zionism: Perspectives in Comparison purchase via Augsburg Fortress Press International Solidarity Movement (ISM) Now I walk in Beauty , a Navajo Prayer, English version here The Kairos Documents South Africa Kairos Palestine I Kairos Palestine II Gender, Genocide, Gaza and the Book of Esther: Engaging Texts of Terror(ism) purchase from Routledge Press Inst. for the Study of Christian Zionism The ISCZ is the primary resource for the study, critique, and response to Christian Zionism. Friends of Sabeel North America Seeking justice and peace in the Holy Land through education, advocacy, and nonviolent action. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show Credits: Original music: Karl Saint Lucy & Danny Frye (feat. Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac) - “The Path Forward” Produced, written, and performed by: Karl Saint Lucy (ASCAP) & Danny Frye (BMI) Featuring sampled speech by: Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac Drums, mixing, and mastering: Danny Frye Keyboards and programming: Karl Saint Lucy Logo design: Dee Roberts

In this episode, we are excited to connect with Rev. Dr. Cláudio Carvalhaes, Rev. Dr. Crystal Silva-McCormick, and Dr. Nicolás Panotto, for what promises to be a fascinating conversation exploring the influence and impact of Christian Zionism in Latin American contexts—both within and among Latine communities and institutions—but also the harm Christian Zionist ideologies and power structures have brought to Latine individuals and families, whether here in the United States or abroad. Resources mentioned • Decolonizing Theological Knowledge in Latin America: Religion, Education and Theology with a Postcolonial Accent by Nicolás Panotto ( interview on the book ) • Theology after Gaza: a global anthology ed. Mitri Raheb and Graham McGeoch ( via Wipf & Stock ) • Discourse on Colonialism by Aimé Césaire ( via libcom.org ) • Decolonizing Palestine: the land, the people, the bible by Mitri Raheb ( via Orbis Books ) • Kairos Palestine II • Kairos Palestine II Lenten study guide • “Liberation Theology as a Test for Authentic Religion” by Naim Ateek ( via FOSNA store ) This is the podcast of the Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism (ISCZ). To learn more about ISCZ visit our website at: https://studychristianzionism.org Got a question about the podcast? Reach out to us via email at BTBusted@studychristianzionism.org . Support the show Credits: Original music: Karl Saint Lucy & Danny Frye (feat. Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac) - “The Path Forward” Produced, written, and performed by: Karl Saint Lucy (ASCAP) & Danny Frye (BMI) Featuring sampled speech by: Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac Drums, mixing, and mastering: Danny Frye Keyboards and programming: Karl Saint Lucy Logo design: Dee Roberts

Today we’re excited to connect with Josiah R. Daniels, Rev. Keyanna Jones Moore, and Rev. Dr. Reggie Williams. During our conversation this month, we will dive deeper into how Christian Zionism shows up in the spiritual and political realities of Black Christians in the United States. Resources mentioned: Bonhoeffer’s Black Jesus: Harlem Renaissance Theology and an Ethic of Resistance by Reggie Williams The Cross and the Olive Tree: Cultivating Palestinian Theology amid Gaza edited by John and Samuel Munayer Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad Perfect Victims: And the Politics of Appeal by Mohammed El-Kurd ‘I’m so dehumanized’: Journalists say U.S. newsrooms treat Palestine with fear and contempt by Laura Albast via Prism Reports Want to Love Your Neighbor? Grieve With Them By Elom Tettey-Tamaklo via sojo.net What is neutrality bias, and why do we need to address it? by Gina Baleria via the Wayback Machine Department Press Briefing – February 14, 2024 Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson via state.gov Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE) Highlander Folk School Shalom Hartman Institute Video of “flying checkpoint” in North Georgia The Wayback Machine John Coltrane: A love supreme Inst. for the Study of Christian Zionism The ISCZ is the primary resource for the study, critique, and response to Christian Zionism. Friends of Sabeel North America Seeking justice and peace in the Holy Land through education, advocacy, and nonviolent action. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show Credits: Original music: Karl Saint Lucy & Danny Frye (feat. Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac) - “The Path Forward” Produced, written, and performed by: Karl Saint Lucy (ASCAP) & Danny Frye (BMI) Featuring sampled speech by: Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac Drums, mixing, and mastering: Danny Frye Keyboards and programming: Karl Saint Lucy Logo design: Dee Roberts

This month we’ve connected with our movement partners in South Africa. Joining us across a vast span of time zones, we’re excited to bring Dr. Thandi Gamedze and Dr. Ntando Mlambo to the podcast. The ideas of “Land, space, and place” are integral to the conversation around colonialism and settler colonialism in the contexts of both South Africa and Palestine. Indigenous Palestinians and Indigenous South Africans have long shared a deep, historical affinity as those on the receiving end of settler-colonial violence and apartheid. Nelson Mandela is well-known for his support of Palestinian freedom, most famously declaring: “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” Resources mentioned: Gender, Genocide, Gaza and the Book of Esther: Engaging Texts of Terror(ism) by Sarojini Nadar, purchase from Routledge Liberating Black Theology: Emerging South African Voices , edited by Demaine Solomons and Eugene Baron, purchase eBook from African Sun Media Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God by Kelly Brown Douglas, purchase from Orbis Books www.targetedchurches.com Support the show Credits: Original music: Karl Saint Lucy & Danny Frye (feat. Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac) - “The Path Forward” Produced, written, and performed by: Karl Saint Lucy (ASCAP) & Danny Frye (BMI) Featuring sampled speech by: Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac Drums, mixing, and mastering: Danny Frye Keyboards and programming: Karl Saint Lucy Logo design: Dee Roberts

This month, we’re joined by Dr. Malinda Berry, Rev. Dr. Shannon Smythe, Rev. Dr. J. Ross Wagner, and Rev. Emilee Walker-Cornetta to talk about what Rev. Prof. Mitri Raheb calls the “software” of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Israel relies on two things to sustain its illegal occupation of Palestine—hardware and software. The hardware is the weapons and other forms of military aid sent to Israel. But what is the software? It is the theological messaging that manufactures consent for Israel’s many war crimes, including the ongoing forced starvation of children, women, and men in Gaza. This theological messaging is both consciously and unconsciously woven into the curriculum of many seminary and theology schools in the U.S. Resources mentioned: Theology after Gaza: a global anthology ed. Mitri Raheb and Graham McGeoch, purchase from Wipf and Stock The cross and the olive tree: cultivating Palestinian theology amid Gaza ed. by John S. and Samuel S. Munayer, purchase from Orbis Books Being Christian after the desolation of Gaza ed. By J. Ross Wagner and Bruce Fisk, purchase from Wipf and Stock Faith misplaced: the broken promise of U.S.-Arab relations, 1820-2001 by Ussama Makdisi, purchase from Hachett Book group Artillery of heaven: American missionaries and the failed conversion of the Middle East by Ussama Makdisi purchase from Cornell University Press The space between us: conversations about transforming conflict by Betty Pries, purchase from MennoMedia Acts: A Theological Commentary on the Bible by Willie James Jennings, purchase from Rofhiwa Books The end of theological education by Ted Smith, purchase from Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co . Israelism via Tubi If you enjoy the show, don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform! Support the show Credits: Original music: Karl Saint Lucy & Danny Frye (feat. Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac) - “The Path Forward” Produced, written, and performed by: Karl Saint Lucy (ASCAP) & Danny Frye (BMI) Featuring sampled speech by: Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac Drums, mixing, and mastering: Danny Frye Keyboards and programming: Karl Saint Lucy Logo design: Dee Roberts

This month we're continuing the conversation about Christian Zionism with Rev. Dr Stephen Sizer, the first Director of ISCZ. We’ll uncover more about the history of Christian Zionism and learn about why engaging in the work to combat this theology is so necessary. If you enjoy the show, don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform! Resources Mentioned: Dying in the land of promise: Palestine and Palestinian Christianity from Pentecost to 2000 by Donald E. Wagner, purchase from the Institute for Palestine Studies God’s land on loan: Israel, Palestine, and the world by W. Eugene March, purchase from the PC(USA) store The end of days: fundamentalism and the struggle for the Temple Mount by Gershom Gorenberg, purchase from Simon & Schuster Journal for the Study of Christian Zionism, Vol. 1 No. 1 The Rapture exposed: The message of hope in the Book of Revelation by Barbara Rossing, purchase from ThriftBooks The Zimmerman Telegraph Zion’s Christian soldiers: The Bible, Israel and the Church by Stephen Sizer , purchase from Bookshop.org Support the show Credits: Original music: Karl Saint Lucy & Danny Frye (feat. Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac) - “The Path Forward” Produced, written, and performed by: Karl Saint Lucy (ASCAP) & Danny Frye (BMI) Featuring sampled speech by: Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac Drums, mixing, and mastering: Danny Frye Keyboards and programming: Karl Saint Lucy Logo design: Dee Roberts

This month we’re joined by Rev. Dr. Donald Wagner, one of the central figures at the inception of the ISCZ. We’ll uncover the history of Christian Zionism and learn about why engaging in the work to combat CZ theology is so necessary. If you enjoy the show, don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform! Resources Mentioned: Dying in the land of promise: Palestine and Palestinian Christianity from Pentecost to 2000 by Donald E. Wagner, purchase from the Institute for Palestine Studies God’s land on loan: Israel, Palestine, and the world by W. Eugene March, purchase from the PC(USA) store The end of days: fundamentalism and the struggle for the Temple Mount by Gershom Gorenberg, purchase from Simon & Schuster Journal for the Study of Christian Zionism, Vol. 1 No. 1 The Rapture exposed: The message of hope in the Book of Revelation by Barbara Rossing, purchase from ThriftBooks The Zimmerman Telegraph Zion’s Christian soldiers: The Bible, Israel and the Church by Stephen Sizer, purchase from Bookshop.org Inst. for the Study of Christian Zionism The ISCZ is the primary resource for the study, critique, and response to Christian Zionism. Friends of Sabeel North America Seeking justice and peace in the Holy Land through education, advocacy, and nonviolent action. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show Credits: Original music: Karl Saint Lucy & Danny Frye (feat. Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac) - “The Path Forward” Produced, written, and performed by: Karl Saint Lucy (ASCAP) & Danny Frye (BMI) Featuring sampled speech by: Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac Drums, mixing, and mastering: Danny Frye Keyboards and programming: Karl Saint Lucy Logo design: Dee Roberts

This month we’re going behind the scenes to get to know members of the Institute’s leadership team. Co-hosts Dee Roberts and Jesse Wheeler are joined by ISCZ Director, Mimi Kirk. We’ll talk about who we are, our roles within ISCZ, and why we think this work is so important. If you enjoy the show, don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform! Inst. for the Study of Christian Zionism The ISCZ is the primary resource for the study, critique, and response to Christian Zionism. Friends of Sabeel North America Seeking justice and peace in the Holy Land through education, advocacy, and nonviolent action. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show Credits: Original music: Karl Saint Lucy & Danny Frye (feat. Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac) - “The Path Forward” Produced, written, and performed by: Karl Saint Lucy (ASCAP) & Danny Frye (BMI) Featuring sampled speech by: Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac Drums, mixing, and mastering: Danny Frye Keyboards and programming: Karl Saint Lucy Logo design: Dee Roberts