Examining Christian Zionism in the Church by Dr. Gary Burge

Introduction of Dr. Gary Burge
Originally from California, Gary’s career as a theologian, author and educator has brought him to venues throughout the US and the world. He views the American Midwest now as ‘home’ but travels extensively in the Middle East and Europe. He is a scholar in New Testament studies specializing in the gospels and the cultural context of first century Judea.

,Gary was an undergraduate at the University of California, Riverside, and The American University of Beirut, Lebanon. He attended Fuller Theological Seminary and King’s College, The University of Aberdeen, Scotland. In Scotland he studied with I. Howard Marshall earning a Ph.D. in New Testament. He served on the faculties of King College (Tennessee), North Park University (Illinois) and after 25 years at Wheaton College (Illinois) he joined the faculty of Calvin Theological Seminary (Michigan) in 2017 as Visiting Professor of New Testament. He moved from regular faculty to adjunct in July 2023.

Gary speaks widely in churches and conferences both in the United States and in various countries. He has traveled extensively, particularly in the Middle East. He is ordained in the Presbyterian Church, USA, and served as a military chaplain (USNR). For over 15 years he was a regular teacher at Willow Creek Community Church in S. Barrington, IL.

He describes his experience - “When Lebanon’s tragic civil war broke out in the mid 1970s, I was a student at the American University of Beirut studying international politics and Islam. I never realized what an indelible mark this year would put on me as this dangerous and violent national tragedy unfolded. Since the university witnessed sporadic closures, I began studying at Beirut’s Near East School of Theology (an Arab-Armenian seminary) and there for the first time was exposed to the technical study of the New Testament (under Dr. Kenneth E. Bailey). It seemed that from here my life found its twin navigational markers: the New Testament and the world of the Middle East.”

“My goal as a speaker, teacher and scholar is to help us realize how knowing the unique world of the Middle East and ancient Judaism can shape how we read the Bible today. This is particularly true of the gospels. Jesus’ cultural reflexes were different than ours and unless we understand him in his world, we risk misrepresenting his story. In addition, knowing the context of the Middle East (and its churches) will also transform our understanding of modern issues that persist in that part of the world.”