It

is generally accepted that Jews and evangelical Christians have little in

common. Yet special alliances developed

between the two groups in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Evangelicals

viewed Jews as both the rightful heirs of Israel and as a group who failed to

recognize their true savior. Consequently, they set out to influence the course

of Jewish life by attempting to evangelize Jews and to facilitate their return

to Palestine. Their double-edged perception caused unprecedented political,

cultural, and theological meeting points that have revolutionized

Christian-Jewish relationships. An Unusual Relationship explores the

beliefs and political agendas that evangelicals have created in order to affect

the future of the Jews. Additionally, it analyses Jewish opinions and reactions

to those efforts, as well as those of other religious groups, such as Arab

Christians.

This

volume offers a fascinating, comprehensive analysis of the roots,

manifestations, and consequences of evangelical interest in the Jews, and the

alternatives they provide to conventional historical Christian-Jewish

interactions. It also provides a compelling understanding of Middle Eastern

politics through a new lens.