Over the weekend, Hamas initiated new attacks on Israel, plummeting the region into war. In this special episode of The Bulletin, hosts Mike Cosper and editor in chief Russell Moore engage with guests Dan Senor and Robert Nicholson to make sense of the events—the context, the stakes, and the importance of Christian interest in the region. Special guest Darrell Bock joins the conversation to talk about the theology that motivates Christian interest in Israel.
Joining us this week:
Dan Senor is co-author of the forthcoming book The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World, which will be released on November 7, 2023. He is also co-author of The New York Times bestseller Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle, which has been translated into more than 30 languages. He was a senior advisor to former House Speaker Paul Ryan’s campaign for vice president and foreign policy advisor to Sen. Mitt Romney’s presidential campaigns. He has written for The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, and The Washington Post. In addition, he is the host of the podcast Call Me Back.
Robert Nicholson is the president and executive director of the Philos Project. He is also co-founder and board member of Passages Israel, an advisory board member of In Defense of Christians, and a former adjunct professor at The King’s College in New York City. A former US Marine and a 2012–13 Tikvah Fellow, Robert founded Philos in 2014 to stimulate a new generation of religious and cultural exchange between the Near East and the West. His written work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Telegraph, New York Post, Jerusalem Post, Newsweek, Providence, First Things, The Hill, and National Interest.
Darrell Bock is the executive director of cultural engagement for The Hendricks Center and senior research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He has earned recognition as a Humboldt Scholar (Tübingen University in Germany), is the author of over 40 books, including well-regarded commentaries on Luke and Acts and studies of the historical Jesus, and works in cultural engagement as host of the seminary’s Table podcast. He was president of The Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) from 2000 to 2001, served as a consulting editor for Christianity Today, and serves on the boards of Wheaton College and Chosen People Ministries. His articles appear in leading publications. He is often an expert for the media on NT issues. Dr. Bock has been a New York Times best-selling author in nonfiction; serves as a staff consultant for Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, Texas; and is elder emeritus at Trinity Fellowship Church in Dallas.
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