My Love Affair with Evangelical Christians

For more than three decades, I have traveled the world as a Jewish educator, author, and activist. And across all those miles and meetings, I can say without hesitation that some of the most meaningful, profound, and enduring relationships I’ve built have been with evangelical Christians. It was the principal reason that I authored my 2012 international best-selling book “Kosher Jesus,” to build theological bridges with our Christian brothers and explain the Jewish Jesus to them.

My love affair with evangelicals is not political, nor is it strategic. It’s personal, moral, and spiritual. It is rooted in a deep sense of shared values and a profound alignment of faith. At a time when so many alliances are forged based on convenience or fleeting headlines, my bond with evangelical Christians is founded on something far more enduring: a mutual reverence for the Bible, a joint passion for Israel, and a shared commitment to timeless moral truths.

I know some people bristle at the term “evangelical.” In our polarized culture, labels become lightning rods. But I speak not of politics or denominations. I speak of men and women of faith who wake up every morning seeking to live in accordance with God’s Word, who teach their children to love righteousness and reject evil, and who believe that the Jewish people and the State of Israel have a divinely ordained place in the story of humanity.

There are those who ask me: “Rabbi Shmuley, how can you, a proud Orthodox Jew, embrace people whose theology is so different from yours?” And my answer is simple. Because I look not for perfect agreement—I look for shared conviction. Evangelicals believe in the Hebrew Bible. They believe that God gave the Land of Israel to the Jewish people. They believe in absolute moral truths in an age where everything is seen as relative. And above all, they believe that Jews are not some relic of the past but a vital, chosen people with an enduring role to play in God’s plan.

The irony is striking. In an era when antisemitism is growing, particularly on the progressive Left, where support for Israel is increasingly eroding, it is evangelical Christians who have become some of the Jewish people’s most steadfast allies. While many in elite academic and media circles question Israel’s legitimacy, evangelicals affirm it proudly and unequivocally. While university campuses burn Israeli flags and glorify terrorists, evangelical churches raise the Star of David and pray daily for the peace of Jerusalem.

This love is not new. It is rooted in centuries of biblical literacy. Evangelical children grow up learning the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as sacred history. They know King David not as a myth but as a monarch. They revere Moses not as a metaphor, but as the lawgiver. The Jewish people, to them, are not strangers. We are family.

This sense of familial bond is something I have felt deeply. I have spoken at churches across America. I have dialogued with pastors and their congregations, from small rural towns to packed stadiums. And everywhere, I have encountered warmth, openness, and a sincere desire to understand Judaism—not to convert us, not to erase our identity, but to honor and embrace it.

Let me be clear: I remain an uncompromising advocate of Jewish distinctiveness. I do not believe in theological dilution. I do not accept messianic interpretations of Judaism. But I also do not believe that every difference must be a barrier. When evangelicals ask me about Jewish beliefs, I answer them with clarity and love. When they express admiration for Jewish traditions, I return the respect. There is no need for theological fusion to foster moral alliance.

The moral clarity of evangelicals has never been more needed. We live in a world that calls good evil and evil good. We live in a time when traditional families are mocked, when faith is treated as superstition, and when moral boundaries are blurred beyond recognition. Evangelical Christians, like religious Jews, stand against this tide. We stand for family. We stand for life. We stand for God.

We also stand together against the great evil of our age: radical Islamic terrorism and the genocidal hatred directed at Israel and the Jewish people. I will never forget how, after October 7th, when Hamas terrorists raped, burned, and butchered Jews, it was evangelical friends who called me crying, heartbroken. “What can we do?” they asked. “How can we help?” While progressive activists blamed Israel or rationalized terror, evangelicals stood firm with us. Their prayers, their support, and their protests were acts of solidarity that will never be forgotten.

Some might say that this bond is transactional. That evangelicals support Israel for eschatological reasons. But to me, motives matter less than actions. And the actions of the evangelical community speak volumes. They have raised billions for Israeli hospitals, trauma centers, and humanitarian causes. They have mobilized politically for pro-Israel legislation. They have formed friendships with Jewish communities that go beyond symbolism and enter the realm of sacred partnership.

To be sure, there are differences. There are theological chasms. But there is also something greater that unites us: a deep, unwavering love of God, and a commitment to live in His image.

I believe in building bridges—not by compromising who we are, but by affirming the godliness in others. The Torah commands us to be a “light unto the nations.” But light only matters if there are others willing to receive it. Evangelical Christians have not only received it—they have reflected it back, amplifying the divine call to righteousness in a world too often lost in darkness.

This is my love affair with evangelical Christians. It is not naïve. It is not romanticized. It is real. It is tested. And it is enduring. I stand with them, as they have stood with me and my people.

To my Christian brothers and sisters, I say: thank you. Thank you for loving the Jewish people. Thank you for standing with Israel. Thank you for honoring our faith. May we continue to walk together in friendship, in faith, and in a shared mission to bring light to a world desperately in need of it.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
America’s Rabbi
Author of Kosher Hate, Kosher Jesus, and The Israel Warrior
Follow me on X, Instagram, and Facebook @RabbiShmuley