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This work contributes to a prolific body of scholarship on the history and political implications of Christian Zionism in the (human) security of the Middle East and beyond. Its contributions are firstly theoretical through conceptualizing Christian Zionism as a discourse and ‘regime of truth’ in the Foucauldian sense, where power is negotiated through theological, geopolitical, military and economic intersections. This work is also empirically significant in analyzing the apocalyptic and prophetic roadmap – of rapture, revelation and Armageddon – proclaimed by John Hagee Ministries and Christians United for Israel (CUFI), a formal lobby group and the largest American Christian Zionist organization, which is also connected with the CUFI Action Fund. Their framing of human destruction is analyzed, supported by recurrent themes of ‘end times’ eschatology, on and proceeding the October 7 attack through sermons, social media outputs and outreach materials. Dr. Hynek examines the political, material and human consequences of a discourse which limits belonging to ‘God’s chosen people’ and fuses theological interpretation to unabated militarization, concerted political lobbying and campaigns of political activism.
About the Speaker
Sarah Hynek is Instructor of Contemporary Security Issues at Wilfrid Laurier University, and she has also served as College Professor of Politics at Sheridan College. Her research interests include Middle East politics, authoritarianism, (in)security and human rights, political violence, contentious politics, and religion and politics. Her doctoral work was based in Egypt where she conducted fieldwork and interviews with revolutionary activists, human rights advocates and Islamists following the military takeover. Her work on street battles and the weaponization of democratization in Egypt was recently published in Middle East Critique. Her new research focus is on Christian Zionism and its connection to human insecurity especially in Gaza. She holds a BASc from McMaster University, MSt in Theology from the University of Oxford, MRes in Political Research from the University of Aberdeen, and PhD in Politics and International Relations also from the University of Aberdeen. 