CALL FOR PAPERS

Nineteenth Annual Council on Dispensational Hermeneutics

The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry Headquarters

1179 Almonesson Rd, Westville, New Jersey 08093 (Philadelphia area)

September 16-17, 2026

“Israel, War, and Antisemitism”

This is a call for papers for the 2026 Council on Dispensational Hermeneutics. The Council is an academic study group for traditional dispensationalists although observers from other theological traditions are welcome to attend. All presenters must affirm traditional dispensationalism. For the first time in the history of the Council, the annual meeting will not be held at a school. The main sessions will be held in the recording studio of the Friends of Israel (FOI) headquarters in New Jersey right across the river from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Airline flights to the Council should fly into Philadelphia International Airport, which is only fifteen miles from FOI.

In light of this year’s venue, the theme for the conference will be “Israel, War, and Antisemitism.” We have witnessed the dramatic, tragic, and sudden increase of antisemitism in the United States and in the world over the last few years. The Gaza War or the Hamas War has brought out the worst in many world organizations, leaders, and citizens. Dispensational believers should bring the Bible to bear upon the issues involved and speak wisdom to society.

We may be asking specific individuals to deal with various passages as well as receiving your proposals. Off-topic proposals will be considered but those concerning the chosen theme will be reviewed first. All proposals with full title and descriptions (not more than 200 words) should be emailed to the Executive Director, Dr. Mike Stallard, at mstallard@foi.org. The deadline for topic proposals to be turned in is June 1, 2026. The entire Steering Committee of the Council will decide collectively which papers are accepted. This process usually does not take long. The deadline for presentation papers to be turned in is September 1, 2026, in order to be posted at the Council website prior to the actual conference.

Once again, this year there is a modest registration fee of $25 for the Council to help cover the costs of the meeting. Approved speakers for the conference as well as employees from the host institution do not have to pay the registration fee. However, we do ask for everyone to register, even if they do not have to pay the fee so that we can get an accurate prediction of how many are planning to attend. Registration will be online at the Council website:  www.dispensationalcouncil.org.  We would also like everyone to consider making a donation at the Council website to cover increased costs such as the publication of JMAT and ongoing ventures.

For this year’s Council, the theme indicates three inter-related topics that we want to explore.

Concerning Israel:

• What is the relationship between biblical Israel and the modern nation state of Israel?
• Is modern Israel prophetically significant?
• To what extent should Israelology as a category be used in our systematic theologies?
• Is there a future for national Israel? Exploration of a particular passage teaching the future of national Israel would be appropriate.
• Any of the biblical covenants relative to Israel (Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, New) and the associated passages
• The significance of Romans 9:4 – “who are Israelites, to whom belongs…the covenants”
• Whose land is it anyway? How should land promises be understood? A response to recent attempts to diminish the land promises would be appropriate.
• Does the New Testament recontextualize the Old Testament promises to Israel (especially the land promises)?
• What does the New Testament teach us about Israel?
• A refutation of replacement theology (this could be an analysis of a specific passage that helps in this regard).
• How do we respond to some covenant theologians who claim that they do not hold to replacement theology?

Concerning War:

• Is just war biblical? A case study could be Israel’s war against HAMAS after October7, 2023.
• A biblical analysis of genocide and the claims that Israel today is committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.
• How do we bring the Bible to bear upon war narratives with conflicting assessments? Is Israel or HAMAS to be believed and why?

Concerning Antisemitism:

• Is replacement theology automatically antisemitic?
• Are there any antisemitic roots to replacement theology’s rise in Church history?
• An analysis of antisemitism in the history of the Church or in a particular Christian of choice (Chrysostom, Luther, etc.)
• A biblical and historical response to Holocaust denial
• What is the biblical difference between antisemitism and a valid critique of Israel or Jewish people?

Proposals can consider other key passages and areas not mentioned. Why should dispensationalists be concerned about any of these issues?  In all of these we want to be keen to involve discussions about Bible interpretation and theological method.

As always, we will attempt to have an appropriate pastor’s panel to make sure our discussions stay grounded in concern for the local church. We will make every effort to live stream each session.

Again, final papers are to be submitted to Dr. Mike Stallard by September 1, 2026 at the email listed earlier. There will be no remuneration for presentation of papers. Council attendees need to provide their own transportation to the Council site. The Council website will provide information on the many hotels near the headquarters for Friends of Israel.