Description
Book SynopsisIn 1917 only Britain would have taken the decision to favor a Jewish national home when the opportunity occurred to dismantle the Ottoman Empire, for it had been interlocked with the Hebrew Bible since political and theological crises in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England released the so-called Old Testament from its defined role as a christological premonition of the New Testament. Britain, the Bible, and Balfour unpacks the tumultuous history of the idea of a unique Jewish home stateand the development of Zionismas it took shape over the course of several centuries in England. The author argues that, in fact, the theopolitical vision of Zionism is a peculiarly British phenomenon with roots that go back to the English Reformation. The religious and political battles over the Bible, the role of Hebrew scripture, the monarchy, and national identity provided the fortuitous, if providential, groundwork for the recovery of a vision of the Jewish people as a unique community with a
Trade ReviewThere could not be a better or more authoritative book to emerge in this centenary year of the Balfour Declaration than Jonathan Immanuel’s extraordinarily scholarly yet highly readable analysis of how it came about. Connecting the Bible and Zionism with British thinkers and statesmen stretching back over centuries, Immanuel builds a truly compelling argument about British Zionism, both Jewish and non-Jewish, that will fascinate and convince. Far from being either cynical or miraculous, the genesis of the Declaration was logical and, as Immanuel categorically proves, steeped in the best motives and instincts of Britain’s long history. -- Andrew Roberts, King’s College, author of A History of the English-Speaking Peoples Since 1900 and Founder Member of the Friends of Israel Initiative
I do think you show that the restorationist tradition, if effaced, did continue through the 18th century and act as a link between the earlier and later phases. There’s so much fascinating material there, and it’s well put across. Obviously, I’m no expert on the earlier part, but do think the argument about English Protestantism and Judaism being linked from the beginning of the Reformation by Henry VIII seeking Old Testament/Jewish support for the divorce is very important. The unfolding story of Puritanism and its links with Judaism from then on makes perfect sense. From the Reformation to Puritanism through the 18th century to that remarkable stuff on Coleridge the main theme comes across very clearly and cogently. I learned a lot. -- Munro Price, professor of European history at Bradford University, author of The Road to Apocalypse
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Part. I The Root of the Matter 1530-1840 1 England's Political Reformation 2 The Rise of the Puritans 3 A Jew in Peru 4 “No More Our Ancient Enemy” 5 The Hartlib Circle 6 Cromwell's Secular Dilemma 7 Three wise Machiavellians 8 A Complex Messiah 9 Deists Assault the Bible 10 A Tale of Two Enlightenments 11 Science and Restoration in the Age of Reason Part II From Belief to Action 1840-1914 12 Shaftesbury and Palmerston: "The Time has Come" 13 Two Rabbis and a Socialist Saint 14 The View from Afar. America, Australia and Russia 15 Gladstone or Disraeli 16 The Evolution of George Eliot 17 Herzl in Wonderland 18 Science, Faith and Balfour Postscript Bibliography About the Author
