William Eugene Blackstone is a largely forgotten figure of 19th century American life,

 OVERVIEW

William Eugene Blackstone is a largely forgotten figure of 19th century American life, but his

particular brand of Christian faith subsequently helped to launch an important movement of

evangelical America in the 20th century, namely, Christian Zionism. A unique mix of traditional

evangelical piety, Bible prophecy, dispensational eschatology (end times teaching), and a belief

in (facilitating) the restoration of Jews back to their ancestral lands (in his day then known as

Palestine), WEB combined all of these elements to become a public humanitarian voice for

Jewish relief from persecution in Europe (Russia in particular) and full restoration to Palestine.

Once engaged in this process, he would spend the rest of his adult life lobbying important

American public and political figures to save Jews and promote their restoration. Your task in

this assignment is to explain the ideas, beliefs, and events that would shape his life and influence

as a Christian Zionist, including his impact on the Jewish Zionist movement that would find its

most popular base of American support, like today, among evangelical Christians like him. You

are also encouraged to comment on what you believe are some of the more important

consequences of his thought and theology on US foreign policy in the Middle East today.

INSTRUCTIONS

 Length: 5-7 double spaced pages (not including additional pages for title and references).

You may write more pages if necessary.  

 Format: Turabian

 Citations: At least 7 sources must be used and may include the course text, Bible, and

scholarly articles.

 Answer the following 3 prompts below separately in a single document.

 What religious ideas, beliefs, and historic events motivated him to support Jewish

restoration? Be specific enough to help the reader understand what he believed and

why. **Caution: Do not confuse this William Eugene Blackstone with the famous

English jurist, Sir William Blackstone.

 What were some of the longer-term consequences of his beliefs and policy

recommendations for Diaspora Jewry on the one hand, and USFP in the Middle East

on the other? Be critical here—does it seem that WEB really understood the

consequences of his ideas for the Palestinian locals—Jewish, Muslim, or Christian?

 Are his beliefs and policy recommendations still relevant to USFP today? WEB

clearly left a legacy in the US and Palestine. Can you talk about this whether positive,

negative, or both?