Our Promised Land takes readers inside radical Israeli settlements to explore how they were formed; what the people in them believe; and their role in the Middle East today. Charles Selengut analyzes the emergence of the radical Israeli Messianic Zionist movement; which advocates Jewish settlement and sovereignty over the whole of biblical Israel as a religious obligation and as the means of world transformation. The movement has established scores of controversial settlements throughout the contested West Bank; bringing more than 300;000 Jews to the area. Messianic Zionism is a fundamentalist movement but wields considerable political power.Our Promised Land; which draws on years of research and interviews in these settlements; offers an intimate and nuanced look at Messianic Zionism; life in the settlements; connections with the worldwide Christian community; and the impact on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Selengut offers an in-depth exploration of a topic that is often mentioned in the headlines but little understood.
#6704343 in Books 2008-08-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .63 x 6.00l; .83 #File Name: 1440402159276 pages
Review
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Revisionist History at its Best and WorstBy The Peripatetic ReaderThis is a very interesting read; a book about which a general reader or someone interested in Hinduism should read. It represents revisionist history at its best. It puts forward an interesting premise. Ninan’s premise is that what we now know is Hinduism is the result of the proselytizing of St. Thomas; who arrived in India in the Second Century; A.D. Before that mission; there had been no unified religion in the subcontinent and the Vedic ritualism had fallen into obscurity.Ninan views the emergence of Hinduism as a result of outside forces. The proselytizing efforts of St. Thomas influenced and gave rise of the main characteristics of what the world knows as the Hindu faith: • OM; which Ninan strongly implies is a corruption of “Amen.†• Hindu temples; which did not exist in Vedic India; which relied solely on rituals. • Shivaism. • Vaishnava. • The deity Prajapati; which is the Indian version of the resurrected Christ. • Krishna; the avatar of Vishnu; the Indian version of Christ the Son of God. These elements did not exist in Indian prior to St. Thomas’ mission to India. In addition; Ninan argues that the Christian Trinity is reflected in the trinity found in Vishnava. Ninan fails to mention that a trinity is also found in Vedanta; where the trinity consists of Bahama; Vishnu; and Shiva. Last but not least; those two tenets of Hinduism; reincarnation and the immortality of the soul; were imported to India with Alexander’s armies; a gift from Plato and Pythagoras. Ninan adheres to the Aryan Invasion theory. The Aryans are not the original inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent; by analyzing passages from the Old Testament; argues that the Aryans originated from the tribes of Ham; the son of Noah; settling in the Sahara. From there they migrated and settled in the Levant and Mesopotamia; consolidated with the Hittites; where expelled from that area and traveled eastward until they reached India; where they brutally defeated the indigenous tribes living there; the Dravidians; being one of the tribes. Viewed in this scenario; Ninan views the Rg Veda as primarily a historical narrative; where the deities represent historical characters; in struggle with demons; the indigenous tribes in India. The Aryan Invasion is a historical truth; and the “myth†of the Aryan Invasion; a hotly debated issue; was created in the 19th Century in the attempt to consolidate the nascent nationalistic feeling in India.Interesting thesis. The big problem is that Ninan must force; post-date; the critical historical and doctrinal events to validate his theory. For example; Ninan argues that the Vedas are not as ancient as considered and doubts the possibility that the contents of the Vedas could be transmitted orally as thought. So instead of being composed circa 2000 or 3000 B.C.; or earlier; Ninan states they were composed circa 200 A.D.; after St. Thomas’ mission. The Mahabharata does not describe actual historical events; but was composed in the same time period. The same is true of the Brahmanas. The Upanishads almost certainly were composed after Thomas; because they show strong influences from Christian doctrine.But it is not that his interpretation is wholly without merit. Ninan frequently cites rcs from the Rg Veda and other citations from other Hindu scriptures to support his opinions. That is a lot more than other authors would do. But that is exactly what they are — opinions. Many of his beliefs and statements do not have any support; doctrinal; historical or otherwise; just enough to render his ultimate thesis; that Christianity and St. Thomas radically changed Hinduism; questionable.In the final analysis his interpretation stands or falls on whether you accept his placement of the dates of the Vedas and other scriptures and push forward those dates several thousand years later. Is everything we know is wrong? His book deserves a serious read so that the reader may answer that question. His book is interesting and worth a careful read.
