The Continuum History of Apocalypticism / Edition 1

by Bernard McGinn, John J. Collins, Stephen Stein

Overview

"Apocalypticism has been the source of hope and courage for the oppressed, but has also given rise, on many occasions, to fanaticism and intolerance. The essays in this volume seek neither to apologize for the extravagance of apocalyptic thinkers nor to excuse the perverse actions of some of their followers. Rather, they strive to understand a powerful, perhaps even indispensable, element in the history of Western religions that has been the source of both good and evil, and still is yet today."The Editors

The Continuum History of Apocalypticism is a 1-volume, select edition of the 3-vol. Encyclopedia of Apocalypticism first published in 1998. The main historical surveys that provided the spine of the Encyclopedia have been retained, while essays of a thematic nature, and a few whose subject matter is not central to the historical development, have been omitted. The work begins with 8 articles on "The Origins of Apocalypticism in the Ancient World," extending from ancient Near Eastern myth through the Old Testament to the Dead Sea Scrolls, Jesus, Paul, and the Book of Revelation. Next are 7 articles on "Apocalyptic Traditions from Late Antiquity to ca. 1800 C.E.," including early Christian theology, radical movements in the Middle Ages, and both Jewish and Islamic apocalypticism in the classic period. The final section, "Apocalypticism in the Modern Age," includes 10 articles on apocalypticism in the Americas, in Western and Eastern Europe, and, finally, in modern Judaism and modern Islam.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826415202
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	10/01/2003
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	690
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.44(d)

About the Author

John J. Collins is Holmes Professor of Old Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale University Divinity School, USA.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	ix
Part 1	The Origins of Apocalypticism in the Ancient World
1.	The Roots of Apocalypticism in Near Eastern Myth	3
2.	Persian Apocalypticism	30
3.	From Prophecy to Apocalypticism: The Expectation of the End	64
4.	Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls	89
5.	Messianism and Apocalypticism	112
6.	The Eschatology of Jesus	139
7.	Paul and Apocalyptic Eschatology	166
8.	The Book of Revelation	195
Part 2	Apocalyptic Traditions from Late Antiquity to Ca 1800 C.E.
9.	Apocalypticism in Early Christian Theology	221
10.	Byzantine Apocalypses	254
11.	Apocalypticism and Church Reform, 1100-1500	273
12.	Radical Apocalyptic Movements in the Late Middle Ages	299
13.	Images of Hope and Despair: Western Apocalypticism ca. 1500-1800	323
14.	Jewish Apocalypticism, 670-1670	354
15.	Islamic Apocalypticism in the Classic Period	380
Part 3	Apocalypticism in the Modern Age
16.	Apocalypticism in Central and South American Colonialism	417
17.	Apocalypticism in Colonial North America	441
18.	Apocalypticism in Mainstream Protestantism, 1800 to the Present	467
19.	Apocalypticism Outside the Mainstream in the United States	493
20.	The Growth of Fundamentalist Apocalyptic in the United States	516
21.	Apocalyptic Movements in Latin America in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries	545
22.	The Messianism of Success in Contemporary Judaism	563
23.	The Resurgence of Apocalyptic in Modern Islam	582
24.	Apocalypticism in Modern Western Europe	607
25.	Apocalypticism in Eastern Europe	628
	Index of Ancient Sources	649
	Index of Names	661

Editorial Reviews

Continuum here presents a distillation of its three-volume Encyclopedia of Apocalypticism. Comprising 49 scholarly historical and thematic essays, this encyclopedia offered a general academic course of instruction covering the essentials of eschatology, messianism, otherworldly journeys, and millennialist utopianism. This new volume contains 25 select historical essays from the original set to explain the historical development of Apocalypticism, the belief that God has revealed the imminent end of the ongoing struggle between good and evil in history. Following the themes of the previous set, this volume is divided chronologically into three parts: "Origins of Apocalypticism in the Ancient World," "Apocalyptic Traditions from Late Antiquity to 1800 C.E.," and "Apocalyptism in the Modern Age." The essays do not conjure the Hollywood horror ideal of end times (and you won't lie in bed reading this work cover to cover) but instead provide historical and social background for an aspect of religious belief that deals with hope and courage to the oppressed and an understanding of good and evil. A unique and affordable companion revealing the historical and social dynamics of apocalyptic thought, this is recommended for academic theological collections not owning the previous three-volume set.-L. Kriz, West Des Moines P.L., IA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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