TY - JOUR
T1 - Tourism, faith and politics in the Holy Land
T2 - An ideological analysis of evangelical pilgrimage
AU - Belhassen, Yaniv
AU - Ebel, Jonathan
N1 - Funding Information:
Today, there are numerous advocates of a strong relationship between the state of Israel and evangelicals “on the ground in Israel” working to assist evangelical pilgrims. Institutions such as the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) and the ICEJ offer Israel political and financial support by encouraging Jewish immigration to Israel and by organizing and funding charitable projects for underprivileged Israelis. Others include the International Christian Zionist Center (ICZC), Bridges for Peace, Christian Friends of Israel (CFI), and The Institute of Holy Land Study (formally known as the Israel-American Institute of Biblical Studies).The ICEJ, founded in 1980, is one of several Israel-based organizations espousing Christian Zionist ideology and offering support to organized tours. The ideology of Christian Zionism is articulated most clearly and systematically by these various organizations, which can be viewed as the ideological inspiration of such tours. ICZC encourages travel to Israel using the prophecies of Zechariah 9:22: “Thousands of years ago, Israel’s prophets foretold that people from around the world would one day come up to the land: ‘Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.’” (ICZC, 2007). ICEJ, a self-described Christian Zionist organization, sees itself as “an evangelical Christian response to the need to comfort Zion according to the command of scripture” (ICEJ, 2006). Though its official website declares, “[w]e are not trying to fulfill an end-time agenda,” the website also makes clear that ICEJ views Israel as far more than a nice place to visit.
PY - 2009/9/7
Y1 - 2009/9/7
N2 - This article aims to enhance the discussion of the role of ideology in the development of tourism practices through a closer examination of the case of Christian pilgrimage. The analysis focuses on the theo-political ideology of Christian Zionism and its roles and manifestations in the context of evangelical pilgrimages to Israel. Findings suggest that ideological dynamics within the development of these tours can be discussed by distinguishing between four tourism actors, namely, ideological organizations, tour organizers, Israeli officials, and the tourists. We suggest that these actors can be differentiated from each other in accordance with their ideological roles and orientations. Additionally, by demonstrating the similar utilization of pilgrimage by theo-political opponents of Christian Zionism, such as Sabeel and FOSNA, this article illustrates how pilgrimage to the Holy Land has become an arena for competition between these two rival ideologies within the Evangelical movement. The article concludes with a discussion on the role of pilgrimages to Israel as a platform through which theo-political ideologies are manifested, distributed, utilized, and consumed.
AB - This article aims to enhance the discussion of the role of ideology in the development of tourism practices through a closer examination of the case of Christian pilgrimage. The analysis focuses on the theo-political ideology of Christian Zionism and its roles and manifestations in the context of evangelical pilgrimages to Israel. Findings suggest that ideological dynamics within the development of these tours can be discussed by distinguishing between four tourism actors, namely, ideological organizations, tour organizers, Israeli officials, and the tourists. We suggest that these actors can be differentiated from each other in accordance with their ideological roles and orientations. Additionally, by demonstrating the similar utilization of pilgrimage by theo-political opponents of Christian Zionism, such as Sabeel and FOSNA, this article illustrates how pilgrimage to the Holy Land has become an arena for competition between these two rival ideologies within the Evangelical movement. The article concludes with a discussion on the role of pilgrimages to Israel as a platform through which theo-political ideologies are manifested, distributed, utilized, and consumed.
KW - Ideology
KW - Israel
KW - Politics
KW - Religion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=69549134102&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13683500802469342
DO - 10.1080/13683500802469342
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:69549134102
SN - 1368-3500
VL - 12
SP - 359
EP - 378
JO - Current Issues in Tourism
JF - Current Issues in Tourism
IS - 4
ER -