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 MentionedTimes of Israel article on Gaza Encampment at ColumbiaThe Atlantic magazine articleHow To Sell A Genocide, Adam JohnsonAmerica’s Misadventures in the Middle East, Chas W. Freeman Jr.History of Zionism from 1600-1918, Nahum SokolowPublic Opinion, Walter Lippmann“The Problem with Passover,” Harriet Malinowitz“New public diplomacy”The Network approachThe NationMondoweissMiddle East MonitorThe Electronic IntifadaFairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR)Fairness Doctrine in FCCMerchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global WarmingHasbara Handbook: Promoting Israel on CampusThe Global Language DictionaryThe Complicit Lens: The US Establishment Media’s Role in the Gaza GenocideFood Rules: An Eater’s Manual, Michael PollanMakdisi Street PodcastSupport the showCredits: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 IsaacDrums, mixing, and mastering: Danny FryeKeyboards and programming: Karl Saint LucyLogo 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 MentionedContending 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 SpringerLinkSearching for the Future in the Past: Renewing Feminist Theological Voices ed. Keun-joo Christine Pae and Kathleen T. Talvacchia via BloomsburyTheology after Gaza: a global anthology ed. Mitri Raheb and Graham McGeoch via Wipf & StockPopular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment by Mazin B. Qumsiyeh via Pluto PressAn Asian American Theology of Liberation by Wong Tian An ebook available via AmazonBlack Theology and Black Power by James Cone via Orbis BooksTeología de la Liberación / A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation by Gustavo Gutiérrez via Orbis BooksBeyond God the Father: Toward a Philosophy of Women's Liberation by Mary Daly via Beacon PressThe Contemporary Way of the Cross (Sabeel) via FOSNA bookstoreOrientalism by Edward Said via Penguin Random HouseSupport the showCredits: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 IsaacDrums, mixing, and mastering: Danny FryeKeyboards and programming: Karl Saint LucyLogo 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 ToolkitResources MentionedUnsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery purchase via InterVarsity PressMore Desired than Our Owne Salvation: The Roots of Christian Zionism purchase via Oxford University PressComprehending Christian Zionism: Perspectives in Comparison purchase via Augsburg Fortress PressInternational Solidarity Movement (ISM)Now I walk in Beauty, a Navajo Prayer, English version hereThe Kairos DocumentsSouth AfricaKairos Palestine IKairos Palestine IIGender, Genocide, Gaza and the Book of Esther: Engaging Texts of Terror(ism) purchase from Routledge PressInst. for the Study of Christian ZionismThe ISCZ is the primary resource for the study, critique, and response to Christian Zionism.Friends of Sabeel North AmericaSeeking 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 showCredits: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 IsaacDrums, mixing, and mastering: Danny FryeKeyboards and programming: Karl Saint LucyLogo 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.orgGot a question about the podcast? Reach out to us via email at [email protected] the showCredits: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 IsaacDrums, mixing, and mastering: Danny FryeKeyboards and programming: Karl Saint LucyLogo 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 CoatesOne Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El AkkadPerfect 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 ReportsWant to Love Your Neighbor? Grieve With Them By Elom Tettey-Tamaklo via sojo.netWhat is neutrality bias, and why do we need to address it? by Gina Baleria via the Wayback MachineDepartment Press Briefing – February 14, 2024 Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson via state.govGeorgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE)Highlander Folk SchoolShalom Hartman InstituteVideo of “flying checkpoint” in North GeorgiaThe Wayback MachineJohn Coltrane: A love supremeInst. for the Study of Christian ZionismThe ISCZ is the primary resource for the study, critique, and response to Christian Zionism.Friends of Sabeel North AmericaSeeking 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 showCredits: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 IsaacDrums, mixing, and mastering: Danny FryeKeyboards and programming: Karl Saint LucyLogo 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 MediaStand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God by Kelly Brown Douglas, purchase from Orbis Bookswww.targetedchurches.comSupport the showCredits: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 IsaacDrums, mixing, and mastering: Danny FryeKeyboards and programming: Karl Saint LucyLogo 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 StockThe 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 StockFaith misplaced: the broken promise of U.S.-Arab relations, 1820-2001 by Ussama Makdisi, purchase from Hachett Book groupArtillery of heaven: American missionaries and the failed conversion of the Middle East by Ussama Makdisi purchase from Cornell University PressThe space between us: conversations about transforming conflict by Betty Pries, purchase from MennoMediaActs: A Theological Commentary on the Bible by Willie James Jennings, purchase from Rofhiwa BooksThe end of theological education by Ted Smith, purchase from Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.Israelism via TubiIf you enjoy the show, don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform!Support the showCredits: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 IsaacDrums, mixing, and mastering: Danny FryeKeyboards and programming: Karl Saint LucyLogo 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) storeThe end of days: fundamentalism and the struggle for the Temple Mount by Gershom Gorenberg, purchase from Simon & SchusterJournal for the Study of Christian Zionism, Vol. 1 No. 1The Rapture exposed: The message of hope in the Book of Revelation by Barbara Rossing, purchase from ThriftBooksThe Zimmerman TelegraphZion’s Christian soldiers: The Bible, Israel and the Church by Stephen Sizer, purchase from Bookshop.orgSupport the showCredits: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 IsaacDrums, mixing, and mastering: Danny FryeKeyboards and programming: Karl Saint LucyLogo 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) storeThe end of days: fundamentalism and the struggle for the Temple Mount by Gershom Gorenberg, purchase from Simon & SchusterJournal for the Study of Christian Zionism, Vol. 1 No. 1The Rapture exposed: The message of hope in the Book of Revelation by Barbara Rossing, purchase from ThriftBooksThe Zimmerman TelegraphZion’s Christian soldiers: The Bible, Israel and the Church by Stephen Sizer, purchase from Bookshop.orgInst. for the Study of Christian ZionismThe ISCZ is the primary resource for the study, critique, and response to Christian Zionism.Friends of Sabeel North AmericaSeeking 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 showCredits: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 IsaacDrums, mixing, and mastering: Danny FryeKeyboards and programming: Karl Saint LucyLogo 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 ZionismThe ISCZ is the primary resource for the study, critique, and response to Christian Zionism.Friends of Sabeel North AmericaSeeking 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 showCredits: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 IsaacDrums, mixing, and mastering: Danny FryeKeyboards and programming: Karl Saint LucyLogo design: Dee Roberts