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?
