Vision and ViolenceVision and Violence argues that throughout Western history, the Apocalypse has changed nothing but its guise--from God to Reason, to History, and then to Nature--all the while holding us rapt with its prophecy of universal devastation. While in Judaism and Christianity it inspires efforts to uplift societies spiritually, the apocalyptic fantasy serves in secular thought--as in today's environmental movement--to bring about much-needed policy reforms. Much of the book is devoted to an examination of the persistence of the apocalyptic heritage from ancient Greek and Hebrew civilizations, through the religious revivals of the Middle Ages and the Enlightenment belief in progress, to its importance in Hegelian and Bolshevik thought, and finally to its expression today in the resurgence of religious fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Mendel concludes his remarkable book with an appeal for the more modest and humane philosophy of the "repair of the world," which, he argues, is central to biblical teaching. The late Arthur P. Mendel was Professor of History, University of Michigan, specializing in Russian intellectual history. His first book, Dilemmas of Progress in Tsarist Russia: Legal Marxism and Legal Populism, established him as one of the outstanding historians of his generation. Richard Landes is co-founder, with Stephen O'Leary, of the Center for Millennial Studies. He is also Associate Professor of History, Boston University, and author of Relics, Apocalypse, and the Deceits of History: Ademar of Chabannes, 989-1034. |
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Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Apocalypse and God Ancient Theory | 3 |
Apocalypse and God Medieval Practice | 47 |
Apocalypse and Reason | 95 |
Apocalypse and History | 137 |
Apocalypse and Nature | 195 |
Paradise Now The Counterculture | 223 |
Full Circle Fundamentalism | 265 |
The Middle Ground | 309 |
323 | |
327 | |
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achieve apoca apocalyptic authoritarian Bakunin believe Biblical blessed blood Bolshevik bourgeois century Christ Christian civilization counterculture culture death destruction Detroit Free Press dialectical divine domination earlier earth eternal everything evil existence faith fascism freedom fundamentalist future gnostic God's Gospels heaven Hegel Hegelian Hellenistic Herbert Marcuse historians Hitler Holy human Ibid ideals intellectual Israel Jacobin Jesus Jewish Jews Judaism justice kill kingdom land Land of Israel laws leaders Lenin liberation live Lord martyrdom Marx Marxist means medieval Mendel ment messianic millennial mind modern moral movement mystics nature Nazi Nazism organization Party peace philosophers political progress prophecy prophets punishment purity radical rationalists reality Reason redemption religious revisionist revolution revolutionary Russian Sabbatai Zevi sacred salvation secular Shekhina Shi'ite social socialist society soul spirit struggle suffering Taborites Talmud theory things thou tion Torah tradition truth universal violence vision Western worldview York