One of the most widely praised studies of Jewish apocalyptic literature ever written, The Apocalyptic Imagination by John J. Collins has served for over thirty years as a helpful, relevant, comprehensive survey of the apocalyptic literary genre. After an initial overview of things apocalyptic, Collins proceeds to deal with individual apocalyptic texts — the early Enoch literature, the book of Daniel, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and others — concluding with an examination of apocalypticism in early Christianity. Collins has updated this third edition throughout to account for the recent profusion of studies germane to ancient Jewish apocalypticism, and he has also substantially revised and updated the bibliography.
Although apocalyptic visions and predictions have long been part of classical and contemporary Islam, this book is the first scholarly work to cover this disparate but influential body of writing. David Cook puts the literature in context by examining not only the ideological concerns prompting apocalyptic material but its interconnection with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Arab relations with the United States and other Western nations, and the role of violence in the Middle East. Cook suggests that Islam began as an apocalyptic movement and has retained a strong apocalyptic and messianic trend. One of his most striking discoveries is the influence of non-Islamic sources on contemporary Muslim apocalyptic beliefs. He trenchantly discusses the influence of non-Islamic sources on contemporary Muslim apocalyptic writing, tracing anti-Semitic strains in Islamist thought in part to Western texts and traditions. Through a meticulous reading of current documents, incorporating everything from exegesis of holy texts to supernatural phenomena, Cook shows how radical Muslims, including members of al-Qa'ida, may have applied these ideas to their own agendas. By exposing the undergrowth of popular beliefs contributing to religion-driven terrorism, this book casts new light on today's political conflicts.
Will be welcomed by teachers in search of an anthology for use in undergraduate courses in Jewish and early Christian apocalyptic literature, ---Religious Studies Review. The texts are taken from standard English editions and are arranged according to the model developed by the Society of Biblical Literature's Genres Project. 352 pages, softcover. Hendrickson.
The book of Revelation seems to provoke two responses; obsession or terror. For some, the book is a playground they can never leave, as they find speculative theories about the end of the world and Christ's second coming. At the other extreme are those so afraid of Revelation's signs and symbols that they decide to avoid the book entirely.Understanding Apocalyptic Literature: A Guide to the Book of Revelation charts a different course. While Revelation is an unusual book for today's reader, it was not that different from other apocalyptic works circulating in the New Testament times. An understanding of such material is foundational to approaching Revelation as its first readers did. Insight into the apocalyptic genre helps us realize why books like Revelation were written, what they were (and were not) meant to do, and what such works hoped to accomplish.That is this book's goal: to help you read Revelation as the first century disciples did. Long ago, the inspired message of Revelation fueled its original readers' commitment, zeal and perseverance. A better understanding of how apocalyptic literature works can help Revelation do the very same for you today.
Apocalypticism arose in ancient Judaism in the last centuries BCE and played a crucial role in the rise of Christianity. It is not only of historical interest: there has been a growing awareness, especially since the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, of the prevalence of apocalyptic beliefs in the contemporary world. To understand these beliefs, it is necessary to appreciate their complex roots in the ancient world, and the multi-faceted character of the phenomenon of apocalypticism. The Oxford Handbook of Apocalyptic Literature is a thematic and phenomenological exploration of apocalypticism in the Judaic and Christian traditions. Most of the volume is devoted to the apocalyptic literature of antiquity. Essays explore the relationship between apocalypticism and prophecy, wisdom and mysticism; the social function of apocalypticism and its role as resistance literature; apocalyptic rhetoric from both historical and postmodern perspectives; and apocalyptic theology, focusing on phenomena of determinism and dualism and exploring apocalyptic theology's role in ancient Judaism, early Christianity, and Gnosticism. The final chapters of the volume are devoted to the appropriation of apocalypticism in the modern world, reviewing the role of apocalypticism in contemporary Judaism and Christianity, and more broadly in popular culture, addressing the increasingly studied relation between apocalypticism and violence, and discussing the relationship between apocalypticism and trauma, which speaks to the underlying causes of the popularity of apocalyptic beliefs. This volume will further the understanding of a vital religious phenomenon too often dismissed as alien and irrational by secular western society.
The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.
"An appreciation for the rich diversity of literary genres in Scripture is one of the positive features of evangelical scholarship in recent decades." —David M. Howard Jr., series editor At one time, Old Testament apocalyptic literature was relegated to the more obscure reaches of biblical scholarship, acceptable to occasionally refer to, but too thorny to delve into deeply. However, in recent decades it has moved to the forefront of research. The rich veins of insight to be mined in the book of Daniel and other apocalyptic texts are being rediscovered. Richard A. Taylor has crafted a handbook to explore those riches and uncover a way to understand apocalyptic literature more fully. Taylor begins with a helpful introduction to the genre; surveys the purpose, message, and primary themes of Old Testament apocalyptic literature; and then discusses critical questions and key works for further study. He also provides guidelines for interpreting apocalyptic texts, followed by Old Testament passages that serve to illustrate those guidelines. While primarily written for pastors and graduate students, Interpreting Apocalyptic Literature is nonetheless accessible to those who simply want to study the texts more deeply than previously possible.
Daniel, with an Introduction to Apocalyptic Literture is Volume XX of The Forms of the Old Testament Literature, a series that aims to present a form-critical analysis of every book and each unit in the Hebrew Bible. Fundamentally exegetical, the FOTL volumes examine the structure, genre, setting, and intention of the biblical literature in question. They also study the history behind the form-critical discussion of the material, attempt to bring consistency to the terminology for the genres and formulas of the biblical literature, and expose the exegetical process so as to enable students and pastors to engage in their own analysis and interpretation of the Old Testament texts. In his introduction to Jewish apocalyptic literature, John J. Collins examines the main characteristics and discusses the setting and intention of apocalyptic literature. Collins begins his discussion of Daniel with a survey of the book's anomalies and an examination of the bearing of form criticism on them. He goes on to discuss the book's place in the canon and the problems with its coherence and bilingualism. Collins's section-by-section commentary provides a structural analysis (verse-by-verse) of each section, as well as discussion of its genre, setting, and intention. The book includes bibliographies and a glossary of genres and formulas that offers concise definitions with examples and bibliography.
A major work of reference for scholars and libraries, The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages offers a wealth of information available from no other single source, and providing precise and concise information on all aspects of the Middle Ages. The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages is a tool of great value, a synthesis of knowledge covering the millennium from the fifth century to the fifteenth. Cultural, religious, intellectual, social and political history are all covered, and while the main concentration is on Europe and Christendom, the rise of Islam and the Arabs, and of other cultures with which Europeans came into contact is also extensively treated. Art and architecture (including the building of the great cathedrals), the growth of universities, developments in law and scientific discoveries are all treated in the same depth as political history. Archaeological, geographical, historical, linguistic, philosophical and theological topics receive full treatment. Biographies of monarchs, bishops and major intellectual figures are included, as are descriptions of varying lengths of major ideas and beliefs. The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages is the work of a team of over 600 scholars from more than forty nationalities. It contains over 3000 articles, ranging from a few sentences to 10,000 word essays, and more than 600 illustrations, many in colour, and is thoroughly indexed. Substantial bibliographies attached to each entry provide access to fuller information. The Encyclopedia makes the great treasure house of knowledge of the medieval world easily accessible and the user, whether a scholar or merely an interested reader, will find the book an essential but easily accessible resource. It is designed as a companion to the Encyclopedia of the Early Church, edited by Angelo di Berardino and published in 1992. The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages will be an essential reference work for all major libraries, and for specialist collections dealing with any aspect of the Middle Ages.
