Senior Project Advisor
Daniel Chard
Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Winter 2025
Keywords
Jerry Falwell, Evangelicalism, Israel, Menachem Begin, Moral Majority
Abstract
Around 1980, things in the United States began to shift in the theopolitical world. Traditional staunch allies of the State of Israel in liberal Protestant Christians were increasingly separating from Israel and the new political party that had taken control in 1977. By the early 1980s, Israel had completely shifted its allyship to a new branch of Christians: evangelicals. These Evangelicals had traditionally been known for their anti-Semitism, yet by this point in time they had completely transformed to become the staunchest supporters for the State of Israel in the United States. The source of this shift has traditionally been traced to the religious beliefs that many of these Evangelicals held, namely the premillenial dispensationalist belief that the Bible should be taken literally, and that Israel was needed to bring about the apocalypse. Yet these views of the theopolitical alliance between the State of Israel and Evangelical Christians tends to undercut the political work that the two groups engaged in and benefited from. Emphasizing the relationship between the leader of the Moral Majority, Reverend Jerry Falwell Sr. and the new Prime Minister of Israel, Menachem Begin, I aim to change the historical discourse around this subject to emphasize the political leverage that each brought for the other. I argue that Evangelical beliefs were crucial for providing a basis for cooperation between the two groups, but their relationship was also characterized by the trading of support and benefits to ensure their positions within their respective nations.
Department
History
Recommended Citation
Gilbert, Chris, "Falwell and Begin: Shifting Theopolitical Tides" (2025). WWU Honors College Senior Projects. 917.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwu_honors/917
Subjects - Topical (LCSH)
Evangelicalism; Jews--Study and teaching
Subjects - Names (LCNAF)
Falwell, Jerry; Begin, Menachem, 1913-1992
Geographic Coverage
Israel
Type
Text
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
