This book offers a new insight into the political, social, and religious
conduct of religious-Zionism, whose consequences are evident in Israeli
society today. Before the Six-Day War, religious-Zionism had limited its
concern to the protection of specific religious interests, with its
representatives having little share in the determination of Israel's
national agenda. Fifty years after it, religious-Zionism has turned into
one of Israeli society's dominant elements. The presence of this group
in all aspects of Israel's life and its members' determination to set
Israel's social, cultural, and international agenda is indisputable.
Delving into this dramatic transformation, the book depicts the Six-Day
War as a constitutive event that indelibly changed the political and
religious consciousness of religious-Zionists. The perception of real
history that had guided this movement from its dawn was replaced by a
"sacred history" approach that became an actual program of political
activity. As part of a process that has unfolded over the last thirty
years, the body and sexuality have also become a central concern in the
movement's practice, reflection, and discourse. The how and why of this
shift in religious-Zionism - from passivity and a consciousness of
marginality to the front lines of public life - is this book's central
concern.
The book will be of interest to readers and scholars concerned with
changing dynamic societies and with the study of religion and
particularly with the relationship between religion and politics.
