Between Dixie and Zion: Southern Baptists and Palestine Before Israel

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This work examines the roots of evangelical Christian support for Israel, focusing on the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., leading up to the establishment of Israel in 1948. Surprisingly, one week after Israel's creation, SBC delegates voted down resolutions congratulating President Harry Truman for his role in this event. This response contrasts sharply with today's perception, where white evangelical Protestants represent the largest pro-Israel group in the U.S. The book investigates how conservative evangelicals transitioned from hesitance to strong support for Israel. It delves into Southern Baptist engagement with the "Palestine question," which revolved around control of the Holy Land post-World War I. Walker Robins argues that most Southern Baptists did not initially view the Palestine question as a political issue but rather engaged with it through various encounters with the land and its peoples, including tourists, missionaries, and even a president. Each group had distinct priorities shaped by their experiences. The analysis reveals that Baptists viewed the region through an orientalist lens, associating the Zionist movement with Western civilization and progress, while perceiving Arabs as uncivilized. This perspective suggested that Zionists were fulfilling Baptists' aspirations for the revival of the Holy Land.