RELG 308 - End of the World: Apocalyptic Thought and Movements in Historical Perspective

Investigates the origin and evolution of apocalyptic literature and movements from antiquity to the present, beginning with the Second Temple and early Christian periods. What existential and ideological factors give rise to convictions of the world’s cataclysmic destruction, or civilization-altering fate? Why do apocalyptic movements forecast the inevitability of such life-threatening catastrophes as national or global revolution and warfare, plagues, ecological catastrophes, or profound existential threats from bioengineering or artificial intelligence menaces gone awry? Particular attention is focused on the sociohistorical factors that fuel and heighten apocalyptic fervor within discrete historical periods, inclusive of contemporary post-apocalyptic reconstructions of new world orders that inspire allegiance, hope, and notions of paradisal tranquility.

Credits: 1.00
Crosslisted: JWST 308
Corequisite: None
Prerequisites: None
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: None
Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
Liberal Arts CORE: None

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