Israelism and the Place of Christ

`From the perspective of Christian theology, speaking about Israel not only touches on issues of international politics or social convictions but also on the core questions of faith and theology, such as: How does God relate to the peoples in this world? Does the dictum that with God there is no partiality apply only to individuals, or also to peoples? In other words: Does He still favour a people? How do we read the Bible? To what extent should we use the New Testament as a lens for the Old Testament? What is the place of Christ in theology? How far does salvation through Christ reach? Does it apply to Jews and non-Jews in the same way? Should Christians keep the Jewish festivals? What will be the place of the people of Israel in the future? These are important questions about the concept of God, hermeneutics, christology, soteriology, practical theology, and eschatology. Therefore, from a theological vantage point the subject of the collection of essays before you is extremely important.' Prof. Dr. Wido van Peursen (Professor of Old Testament at the Vrije Universiteit/ Free University in Amsterdam)