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Apocalypse and the End of the World
Course #: RELSTY 310
Description:
This course explores speculations on the apocalypse and the end of the world from antiquity to the present. The first half of the course focuses on the origins of apocalyptic thinking and literature within ancient Jewish and Christian contexts. Students will carefully analyze a wide range of apocalyptic texts (biblical and extra-biblical) with an emphasis on location this literature within the wider social and historical contexts of early Judaism and early Christianity. The second half of the course concentrates on the varied legacies of ancient apocalypticism by exploring contemporary manifestations of apocalyptic thought and discourse. In particular, students will examine select millenarian movements and apocalyptic cults, the role of apocalypticism in religious fundamentalism and the presence of apocalypticism in popular culture.
Pre Requisites: