Apocalyptic Spirituality

Introduction

 

This is the genre of literature that merges covenant obligations, prophetic vision, and wisdom theology.  It is the genre that gives us Daniel, Revelation, and significant portions of the gospels and epistles.  What social cir-cumstances led to these comprehensive, catastrophic visions of the world, to these utopian constructions of God’s future reign?  How has an apocalyptic viewpoint colored the Christian kerygma, and how has the delay in the second coming of Christ created divergent teachings in the New Testament?

Notes

 

Reading

• Scripture: Daniel 1-12; 2 Thessalonians; Mark 13; Matthew 24-25
  
  
• Secondary: Bernard McGinn, "Introduction: Apocalyptic Spirituality," in Apocalyptic Spirituality: Treatises and Letters of Lactantius, Adso of Montier-en-der, Joachim of Fiore, the Spiritual Franciscans, Savonarola (Classics of Western Spirituality; New York: Paulist, 1979) 1-16 (on ERes)

 

Notes

Under construction.

Bibliography

 

A complete bibliography of apocalyptic literature is available at SCTR 132: Apocalypse Now, a course taught by C. Murphy.

Links

 

• Red White Blue & Brimstone: New World Literature and the American Millennium, a special exhibit at the University of Virginia on the role of apocalyptic thought in the history of the United States.