Discussions concerning supersessionism are not new, but interest in this issue has increased during the last half of the twentieth century as a flurry of books, articles, and declarations from churches and denominations addressed Israel's place in the plan of God and the traditional view that the church replaced Israel as God's people.

Yet, even with the increased interest concerning this topic, supersessionism has not often received attention as a theological topic in its own right. Many theological dictionaries and systematic theologies do not specifically address it or it is treated as a subset within discussions of ecclesiology or Israel.[5] This article, however, hopes to make a contribution to theology by discussing some of the major issues related to supersessionism. In sum, this article will discuss the importance of supersessionism to theological thought, offer a definition of supersessionism, and address variations within the supersessionist view. Concerning this last issue, this article will address the three main forms of supersessionist theology and explain the variations among supersessionist theologians concerning the future of Israel.

Importance of Supersessionism to Theological Thought

In recent years, greater awareness of the relationship between supersessionism and the major categories of Christian theology has developed. R. Kendall Soulen, for example, claims that the rejection of supersessionism is "fraught with profound implications for the whole range of Christian theological reflection."[6] Craig A. Blaising asserts that issues related to supersessionism affect the doctrines of God, anthropology, Christology, ecclesiology, and eschatology.[7] Although it is beyond the purpose of this work to examine fully how supersessionism relates to all aspects of Christian theology, a brief sketch of this relationship will highlight the importance of the supersessionist view to theology.[8]