One cannot fully grasp the scale and influence of Christian Zionism today without at least a basic understanding of its centuries-long history. Beginning in the 17th century, this timeline traces the development of religious and political thinking that has grown into an international movement of millions. No single resource can begin to scratch the surface of over four hundred years of thought and political action—let alone a movement replete with internal disagreements, political conflicts and competing factions. By navigating a timeline composed of images and shorter text blocks, readers can easily digest the most important events that have led to Christian Zionism becoming one of the most consequential religio-political movements today.
This timeline is largely focused on Christian Zionism in the U.S., where Christian Zionist fervor has been baked into American nationalism—leading to sweeping consequences in the U.S, Palestine, Israel, and around the world. By providing an introductory, high-level examination focused on the U.S., this timeline offers a foundation for ongoing and further investigation into the nuanced and far-reaching history, geographic spread, and cultural and political power of Christian Zionism.
Further Reading
- Aidan Orly, “101: Christian Zionism,” Political Research Associates, 2024.
- Steven Gardiner, “End Times Antisemitism: Christian Zionism, Christian Nationalism, and the Threat to Democracy,” The Public Eye Issue 101, 2020.
- Political Research Associates, “Why You Should Care about the End Times: Christian Zionism & its Outsized Influence on American Policy,” interview on the Inform Your Resistance podcast hosted by Koki Mendis, 2024.
- Sarah Posner, “Explaining Christian Zionism to Israelis,” Religion Dispatches, 2015.
- Political Research Associates, “Building Broad Coalitions: A Roundtable on Confronting Christian Zionism,” featured speakers Jonathan Brenneman, Ben Lorber, and Yousef Munayyer, moderated by Aidan Orly, Political Research Associates, 2022.