I have just been reading the Paul Hanson’s section in the ABD article on “Apocalypses and Apocalypticism.” I came across a distinction between two types of biblical eschatology that seems helpful. Eschatology is the study of what will happen at the end of time. The Bible sees the end of time as a dramatic shift brought about by God’s initiative, according to God’s plan. There’s going to be judgment of the righteous and the wicked and a new era of God’s peace will be ushered in. According to scholars, the Bible contains two distinct major forms of eschatology: prophetic and apocalyptic. Prophetic eschatology is the understanding that “God’s new order would unfold within the realities of this world.” Apocalyptic eschatology, which is an outgrowth of prophetic eschatology, is more “dualistic.” In other words, in apocalyptic eschatology, the present era is more distinctly at odds with God’s new order than prophetic eschatology.
I am primarily interested in, as are many scholars, what are the circumstances that give rise to people thinking about the end of the world. In that vein, here’s where I found Hanson’s comment really interesting:
Prophetic eschatology and apocalyptic eschatology are best viewed as two sides of a continuum. The development from the one to the other is not ineluctably chronological, however, but is intertwined with changes in social and political conditions. Periods and conditions permitting members of the protagonist community to sense that human effort would be repaid by improved fortune tended to foster prophetic eschatology, that is, the view that God’s new order would unfold within the realities of the world. Periods of extreme suffering, whether at the hands of opponents within the community or those of foreign adversaries, tended to cast doubts on the effectiveness of human reform and thus to abet apocalyptic eschatology, with its more rigidly dualistic view of divine deliverance, entailing destruction of this world and resurrection of the faithful to a blessed heavenly existence. (Vol. 1, 281; emphasis mine)
In other words, when people had something like what we would call “freedom of speech” (and action, for that matter), prophetic eschatology was more likely. Where dissenting speech and action brought more persecution, apocalyptic eschatology was more likely. The anticipation of the end and the negative feeling towards the present state of the world was more powerful in apocalyptic eschatology. I presume the logic is that when people feel persecuted, they’re going to express their anticipation of the end more dramatically than if they believe they can change things.
It’s an interesting distinction. I think I need to look deeper into this and think about what specific texts are designated one or the other according to scholarly consensus.
The other thing to keep in mind is that an eschatology is fundamentally a theodicy. It is the attempt to order what seems to be out of order. Or, in sociological terms, it is nomization in the midst of anomy.
So two things are interesting here (at least for the material in which I am engaged at the moment). The first is the literary apocalyptic that was really prevalent between the mid 1940’s and the 1960’s where we have books like Fahrenheit 451, 1984, DO Andoids Dream of Electric Sheep?, etc. All of these have in them a sense of negative utopia. It is this prophetic vision of the future, but in terms that mitigate human freedom in favor of social control.
The other is the currency in the US for health and wealth gospel preachers who couch eschatological pronouncements into present blessings. It’s not even something to look forwards to, it is something to possess now.
Both views seem to run counter to the eschatology (generally) of the New Testament which says that Christians will be persecuted, but will then be redeemed. What we read in Paul, the kingdom sayings of Jesus, and in John all point to the perseverance of the saints. Interesting that the negative dystopia literature, theistic in nature, seems to convey this message better than much of the televangelism we see.
Interesting observations, Drew. It’s been awhile since I’ve read 1984. Does the dystopia literature offer some sort of “vindication” for the “righteous ones” that might parallel apocalyptic eschatology of early Judaism and Christianity? I seem to remember only a negative image of the future as a kind of pronouncement of where things are headed in our society. Refresh my memory… is there a way that a particular group of people are encouraged to remain faithful to a particular cause or world view in the dystopia literature?
I hadn’t done as much thinking about contemporary forms of apocalyptic eschatology. I am especially interested in those movements that see a break with society around them (e.g., certain forms of dispensational fundamentalism). I think the transformation of fundamentalism in our country from separatist to activist adds an interesting twist in their eschatology. It seems like they have made a move somewhat similar to going from apocalyptic eschatology (perseverance awaiting final vindication) to prophetic eschatology (trying to change the present situation–Zionism, etc.).
I’ll have to look more into the language of health and wealth gospel. I hadn’t thought much about it in this area. Thanks for bringing it up!
The question of redemption is an interesting one. There is, but it is always kind of like the end of Law and Order where you think there is resolution, but its never total. In 1984 its a love of Big Brother, in Brave New World its suicide, and in Fahrenheit 451 it is all in memory and the ability to rebuild only after everything is destroyed. So it’s a very incomplete kind of redemption. But I’ll have to ponder that a bit more.
I just posted something on homeschooling that deals with the same thing that you are asking in the second paragraph. It is a very interesting phenomenon. It is like going from intentional alienation, to de-alienation, but maintaining that separatist mentality. Like the Orthodox Jews in a way – only more socially motivated to get the world to capitulate to their idea of redemption alone.
I would think that doing a comparative analysis of apocalyptic literature from the Bible and from the 20th century would be a good paper though. You know, in my spare time.