The Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature

by Colin McAllister (Editor)

Overview

Jewish and Christian apocalypses have captivated theologians, writers, artists, and the general public for centuries, and have had a profound influence on world history from their initial production by persecuted Jews during the second century BCE, to the birth of Christianity - through the demise of the Western Roman Empire and the medieval period, and continuing into modernity. Far from being an outlier concern, or an academic one that may be relegated to the dustbin of history, apocalyptic thinking is ubiquitous and continues to inform nearly all aspects of modern-day life. It addresses universal human concerns: the search for identity and belonging, speculation about the future, and (for some) a blueprint that provides meaning and structure to a seemingly chaotic world. The Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature brings together a field of leading experts to provide a comprehensive overview of the subject.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781108529969
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/26/2020
Series:	Cambridge Companions to Religion
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Colin McAllister is an Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. His publications include The Vanguard Guitar (2004) and Fourteenth Century Counterpoint: Music of the Chantilly Codex (2005) as well as a translation of the Cambridge Glossa in Apocalypsin (forthcoming). He directs the annual Through a Glass Darkly: UCCS Symposium on Apocalyptica.

Table of Contents

1. Through a glass darkly: time, the end, and the essence of apocalyptica Colin McAllister; 2. Apocalpyticism as a worldview in ancient Judaism and Christianity John J. Collins; 3. Introduction to the Book of Revelation Ian Paul; 4. The gnostic apocalypses Dylan M. Burns; 5. Exegetic the apocalypse with the Donatist communion Jesse A. Hoover; 6. Tests of faith, rebirth out of corruption or endless cycles of regeneration: experiments in the restoration of the late Roman Empire Brian Duvick; 7. Latin reception of the apocalypse in the early Middle Ages E. Ann Matter; 8. Exegesis of the Apocalypse in the tenth century Francis X. Gumerlock; 9. The end of the world at the ends of the Earth: apocalyptic thought in medieval Ireland John Carey; 10. Byzantine apocalyptic literature András Kraft; 11. Joachim of Fiore and the apocalyptic revival of the twelfth century Brett Edward Whalen; 12. Apocalpytic sensibility in renaissance Europe Ian Boxall; 13. 'Pride and vanity of the imagination, that disdains to follow this world's fashion': apocalypticism in the age of reason Christopher Rowland; 14. The formation of antichrist in medieval western Christian thought Kevin L. Hughes; 15. From Dabiq to Jerusalem: trajectories of contemporary Salafi-Jihadi apocalypticism David Cook; 16. American evangelicals and the apocalypse Daniel G. Hummel; 17. Apocalypticism in the contemporary world Lorenzo DiTommaso.

Editorial Reviews

‘This is a rich, wide-ranging and sometimes provocative collection which brings together serious scholarship adapted to a wider readership … consistently thought-provoking, informative, and full of leads for further exploration.’ Roger Pooley, The Glass

‘… the volume usefully addresses multiple dimensions of apocalyptic studies - definition, characteristics, purpose, and adaptation to changing circumstances.’ W. L. Pitts Jr, Choice

‘This is a very well written and researched collection of essays presented in a balanced and structured way, and it is strongly recommended for both students and scholars of apocalypticism, biblical literature, reception history, and worldviews.’ Gerbern S. Oegema, Society of Biblical Literature

'… a valuable publication which offers a diachronic perspective on the complex history of the apocalyptical literature …' Octavian-Adrian Negoita, Numen

From the Publisher