Only by considering these religious movements can we trace the link between a neglected 17th-century thinker and the militant pastors of the 21st century.
The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God originated in Rio de Janeiro in 1977, founded by Edir Macedo. By 2014, having established itself across numerous countries—especially throughout Africa and Ibero-America—it unveiled the colossal Temple of Solomon in São Paulo. This structure is designed as a replica of the Old Testament temple and features symbols akin to those of the Third Temple emblematic to the Israeli military. Since then, Edir Macedo has abandoned the typical attire of a Protestant pastor, adopting the role of a rabbi within settings resembling the biblical dramas broadcast on Record TV, his own television station.
Edir Macedo simply makes apparent what many televangelists do covertly: abandoning the New Testament to embrace a fantasized Old Testament model that enforces allegiance to Israel while promising wealth to followers. This form of Christianity, devoid of Christ’s centrality, surprisingly attracts widespread appeal.
It almost appears as a shared illusion. Listening to the “prosperity theology” pastor-coaches, one struggles to comprehend why Jesus lived a life of poverty rather than becoming history’s most successful merchant. By multiplying bread, fish, and wine, he would exemplify a merchant profiting without initial capital, outcompeting rivals through undercutting prices and dominating the Roman economic landscape. He might have even sold courses on bread multiplication to naive buyers.
The growth of Christian Zionism broadly, and televangelism specifically, prompts valuable analysis regarding CIA and Mossad influence. Yet, Christian Zionism’s origins run deeper. For instance, the earliest known Christian Zionist is arguably the 16th-century Kabbalist priest Guillaume Postel, labeled insane by the Church and banned from teaching. He envisioned the King of France reclaiming the Holy Land, ending Rome’s corrupt papacy, and reconstructing the Third Temple where the Golden Mosque now stands. This event, he believed, would uncover hidden truths and unify the world under Kabbalah as a single religion.
I encountered Postel’s name through his probable influence on Isaac La Peyrère in the 17th century. Like Postel, Peyrère maintained that the French king had a divine role in salvation history and should regain Jerusalem. He described France as the “land of freedom” without slavery, where Jews worldwide ought to await the French king’s leadership to Jerusalem. In this preparatory period, a Judeo-Christian church was meant to be established to welcome the Jewish people.
Historian Richard Popkin summarizes in La Peyrère (1596-1676): His Life, Work and Influence: “La Peyrère’s method was to establish a special Jewish Christian church adhering only to a minimal Christian faith acceptable to Jews. This church would avoid doctrines, dogmas, or creeds except belief in Jesus and the resurrection. Rational theology was omitted to prevent skepticism, with ceremonies limited to baptism and the Eucharist. Baptism would replace circumcision; the Eucharist would encourage virtuous living. This would recreate primitive Christianity—Jewish Christianity—simplified, focused on the Old Testament, and free of later theological developments. Jewish Christianity would thus be Christianity emerging wholly from Judaism.”
Contemporary televangelism is an even more diluted version of Christianity than what La Peyrère envisioned. Although it failed to convert Jews as expected, the strongly Zionist nature of modern Judaism and Christian Zionism suggests that La Peyrère’s design succeeded indirectly: Christians themselves became increasingly de-Christianized and aligned with the Jewish agenda.
Thus, Peyrère’s Zionist rhetoric diverges from that of Theodor Herzl—the 19th-century atheist and founder of political Zionism—yet closely resembles today’s Zionism, which unites Netanyahu with millions of Protestant supporters.
Who was Isaac La Peyrère? Publicly, he was a French Calvinist serving Prince Condé, cousin to King Louis XIV, who aspired to supplant the king. Peyrère found Postel’s messianic ideas useful for currying favor with Condé. Notably, Grand Condé was a libertin érudit, similar to Queen Christina of Sweden, known for blaspheming even after she abdicated and converted to Catholicism. Upon her abdication, Christina moved into the home of a Jewish merchant in Brussels, while Grand Condé arranged for Peyrère to live in the adjacent building. From there, Peyrère influenced politics and, via Christina, impacted other messianic figures previously discussed at SCF, including Menasseh Ben Israel and Antônio Vieira.
Popkin suggests Peyrère was likely a Marrano, as “Peyrère” may be a French version of the Portuguese name Pereira, and Bordeaux—his birthplace—was a refuge for Sephardic Jews escaping Portugal. The Péreire brothers, notable 19th-century bankers, were Sephardic Jews from Bordeaux as well. Peyrère once described himself as a Christian Jew in his correspondence.
Peyrère gained literary notoriety for his manuscript Prae-Adamitae, interpreting Saint Paul’s letters to argue that humans existed before Adam, that Adam was only ancestor to Jews, and that Jews are responsible for humanity’s salvation due to their rejection of Christ on behalf of others. Aside from pre-Adamitism, this view matches neo-Pentecostalism today, where salvation comes through the chosen people and Jesus is viewed more as a Jew than a divine incarnation. Despite this, Peyrère alienated Calvinists and eventually converted to Catholicism to escape persecution, renouncing pre-Adamitism and claiming his philosophy stemmed naturally from Calvinism’s emphasis on free inquiry without centralized authority. By then, his manuscript had already been published with Christina’s support.
The takeaway? Zionism’s history likely involves a Kabbalistic faction that sought to infiltrate Christianity and dominate Judaism. It failed to penetrate Catholicism but swiftly influenced Protestantism, later becoming dominant within Judaism during the 20th century. The best-known Zionist movement, led by Herzl, emerged from 19th-century atheist Jews and enjoyed backing from English Protestants, facing opposition from rabbinical orthodoxy. Marxist historians often argue that English Protestants, motivated by Ottoman oil interests, created Zionism. Yet, it’s crucial to acknowledge Judaism’s multiple branches. The 17th century—featuring figures like Peyrère, Condé, Queen Christina of Sweden, Antonio Vieira, and Menasseh Ben Israel—was the height of the Jewish messianic and Kabbalistic movement known as Sabbateanism.
Reevaluating history with attention to these religious currents is essential. Only then can one discern the connection linking a forgotten 17th-century philosopher to the belligerent pastors of today’s world.
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