Batman begins today and all the reviews have been glowing. Manohla Dargis in the New York Times hones in on the characterisation in a way that mirrors much of the discussion on the human/superhero duality that was explored at last weekend’s conference:
What Mr. Nolan gets, and gets better than any other previous director, […]
Similar to the images of Terri Schiavo, the circulation of images of Pope John Paul, who has been described as “increasingly frail” for years now, are stimulating a range of mythic possibilities from conspiratorial narratives of the propped-up puppet to sanctifying stories of the ecstatic martyr. This extraordinary set of images from his appearance at […]
Excellent reflection from Susan Neiman in the NYT Magazine on the response to the Tsunami. Neiman begins by comparing our reaction to that of Europeans in the 18th century to the earthquake and Tsunami that destroyed Lisbon 250 years ago.
But Enlightenment thinkers took broader perspectives. Though many denied the existence of a personal Creator, most […]
My current reading has largely been in search of some explanatory theories that can drive my overall understanding of the apocalyptic.
Three theoretical constructs that may prove useful come from studies of conspiracy theory.
Improvisational Millenialism. Michael Barkun (2003) points out that many contemporary millennial or apocalyptic movements do not fit the standard typology of religious or […]
The Washington Post reports the results of a poll commissioned by a group of Liberal Christians which challenges the notion that "values" equal abortion and same-sex marriage.
Battling the notion that "values voters" swept President Bush to victory because of opposition to gay marriage and abortion, three liberal groups released a post-election poll in which […]
Two articles in the latest edition of Foreign Policy make essentially the same point: in spite of the rhetoric of the post-September 11 brave new world, the Bush administration is essentially driven by a cold war agenda and more importantly, cold war strategy. This is obviously a point that has been made before but it […]
Finished off a first close reading of Revelation this weekend. I wanted to get a feel for it before I go off and look at the commentaries. First impressions:
Sense of Time
The prologue clear states that “the Time is close” (1:3) an assertion that bookends the narrative and is repeated again in the final chapter: “Do […]
Anastasia asked in a recent comment whether I have a definition of the apocalyptic.
Well I suppose the answer is yes and no. Essential to my approach is the notion of myth as a broad, living, fluid cluster of ideas and emotional colors. So to “define” the apocalyptic myth is to tie it down in a […]
Interesting discussion over at Crooked Timber on apocalyptic christianity and the response to failed prophecy. John Quiggin got the ball rolling with this question:
Revelations-based prophecies have similarly failed time after time, but they seem to be more popular than ever. What is about apocalyptic Christianity as a belief system that protects it from empirical refutation?
There […]
This is a great quote from Lois Parkinson Zamora’s, Writing the Apocalypse that I found while reading Mike Broderick’s excellent essay “The Rupture of Rapture: Recent Film Narratives of Apocalypse”:
Revelation is … as much about the capacity of language to conceal as to reveal… The apocalyptist’s strategies of concealment attest to the sanctified status conceded […]
Another great article and setr of links from The Revealer. This time about metaphors of Empire in political and religious rhetoric. I have been thinking that Empire has to be a key part of my apocalyptic typology.
What does a list of dropped clichés like this mean, besides that “The Fall (Decay, Decline) of the Roman […]
From Weekly World News:
“The Antichrist’s rise to power is nothing to fear,” declares Bible scholar Jon Hornsworth of Atlanta.
“He will be a unifying figure whose sound policies revitalize the global economy and put an end to international conflict.”
Most people familiar with End Times prophecies in the Book of Revelation assume the Antichrist […]
