Afterlives, Otherworlds, and Transformation: Reading Apocalyptic Literature

Catalog description

The word apocalypse invokes images of end of the world destruction, hellscapes, and plagues. The contemporary usage of the word stretches to inspire fear of the future and dissonance in the present. However, apocalypse fundamentally expresses a sentiment of honesty and hopefulness in the face of challenge and trial. The Greek word apokalypsis, means unveiling, a moment of disclosure, not of what will be, but of what is already present. Layered with poetry, expressive imagery, and prophetic imagination, apocalypticism emphasizes throughout a stubborn and resistant hope (Gk. Hupomone). It is the stubborn hope born out of these ancient communities that inspires a genre that dares to imagine humanity, the cosmos, and the divine interacting, appropriately depicted in oftentimes dramatic ways. This IDSEM course analyzes the apocalyptic genre in Jewish and Christian scriptures. While the course discussion and readings will go beyond the Abrahamic traditions, the main focus will involve the exploration of historical, theological, philosophical, and political themes presented in Apocalyptic texts, with an emphasis on the Book of Revelation.