The End Is Nigh! Understanding the Apocalyptic Worldview

Catalog description

This course investigates the origins, development, and legacies of the apocalyptic and millennial worldviews. The course will explore the origins of these worldviews in the myths, stories, and traditions of the Ancient Near East; how these images and motifs are incorporated in the Biblical tradition(s); and how the worldview develops within various historical periods of hope and crisis. The course will also investigate apocalyptic literature, the elements of the genre, how these become lenses for evaluating the social and political reality of believers and non-believers alike. Students will explore the adaptation and appropriation of apocalypticism/millennialism by various social and religious movements as well as the "Americanization" and mainstreaming of this worldview. Lastly, students will have the chance to research and present on a variety of religious and political apocalyptic movements.