"Christian Dispensationalism, the Taiping Revolution, cargo cults in Oceania, the Baha'i Faith, and the Raelian Movement would seem to have little in common. What they share, however, is a millennial orientation-the audacious human hope for a collective salvation, which may be heavenly or earthly or both. Although many religions feature a belief in personal salvation, millennial faiths are characterized by the expectation that salvation will be accomplished for an entire group by a superhuman agent, with or without human collaboration.
The Oxford Handbook of Millennialism offers readers an in-depth look at both the theoretical underpinnings of the study of millennialism and its many manifestations across history and cultures. While the term ""millennialism"" is drawn from Christianity, it is a category that is used to study religious expressions in diverse cultures, religious traditions, and historical periods. Sometimes, millennial expectations are expressed in peaceful ways. Other times, millennialists become involved in violence.
The Oxford Handbook of Millennialism begins with a section that examines four primary types of millennialism. Chapters in the next section examine key issues such as charismatic leadership, use of scripture, prophetic failure, gender roles, children, tension with society, and violence. The rest of the book explores millennialism in a wide variety of places and times, from ancient Near Eastern movements to contemporary apocalyptic and new age movements, including the roles played by millennialism in national and international conflicts. This handbook will be a valuable resource for scholars of religious studies, sociology, psychology, history, and new religious movements."
Contributors INTRODUCTION 1. Millennialism in Cross-Cultural Perspective Catherine Wessinger MILLENNIALISM: PRIMARY CATEGORIES AND HISTORIES 2. Catastrophic Millennialism: Expecting Cataclysmic Transition to a Collective Salvation Eugene V. Gallagher 3. Progressive Millennialism: Perfecting Society in the Millennial Future W. Michael Ashcraft 4. Avertive Apocalypticism: Using Spiritual Techniques to Prevent Worldly Catastrophe Daniel Wojcik 5. Nativist Millennialism: Responses to Invasion Jean E. Rosenfeld ISSUES RELATING TO MILLENNIALISM 6. Charismatic Leadership in Millennial Movements: Its Nature, Origins and Development Lorne L. Dawson 7. Reading the Signs: Millennialism, Scripture and Tradition Eugene V. Gallagher 8. Prophetic Failure in Millennial Movements Lorne L. Dawson 9. Gender Roles, Sexuality and Children in Millennial Movements Melissa M. Wilcox 10. Millennial Visions and Conflict with Society: Lessons from the Twelve Tribes, The Family International, and the Branch Davidians David G. Bromley and Catherine Wessinger 11. Millennialism and Violence: Fragile Millennial Communities John Walliss MILLENNIALISM IN CROSS-HISTORICAL AND CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE Nascent Monotheistic and Monotheistic Traditions 12. Ancient Near Eastern Millennialism Robert Gnuse 13. They Shall Reign with Him a Thousand Years: Ancient Jewish and Early Christian Millennialism James D. Tabor 14. Early Islamic and Classical Sunni and Shi'ite Apocalyptic Movements David Cook 15. European Millennialism from A to Zvi: Jews, Christians and Muslims in Apocalyptic Dialogue Rebecca Moore Asian Millennial Movements 16. Chinese Millennial Movements Scott Lowe 17. Millennialism in Korea Robert Pearson Flaherty 18. Japanese Millennial Movements Helen Hardacre 19. Millenarian Elements in the Hindu Religious Traditions Hugh B. Urban Millennialism in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific 20. Millennial and Apocalyptic Movements in Africa: From Neo-Traditionals to Neo- Pentecostals Rosalind I. J. Hackett 21. Millennialism in the Caribbean Barry Chevannes 22. Pacific Millennial Movements Garry W. Trompf Nineteenth-, Twentieth-, and Twenty-first-century Millennial Movements 23. Native American Geopolitical, Georestorative Movements Michelene Pesantubbee 24. Babi and Baha'i Millennialism Peter Smith and William P. Collins 25. ''The Kingdom of God Is at Hand'': Nineteenth- and Twentieth-century American Millennialisms Jon R. Stone 26. Christian Dispensationalism Glenn W. Shuck 27. National Socialist Millennialism David Redles 28. Modern Catholic Millennialism Massimo Introvigne 29. New Age Millennialism: Progressive and Catastrophic Visions of Global Transformation Phillip Charles Lucas 30. UFOs, ETs and the Millennial Imagination Robert Pearson Flaherty 31. Dreams Wrapped in Nightmares: Millennium, Apocalypse and American Popular Culture Douglas E. Cowan 32. Environmental Millennialism Robin Globus and Bron Taylor Millennialism and Contemporary National and International Conflicts 33. Millennialism on the Radical Right in America Michael Barkun 34. Radical Movements in Contemporary Judaism in Israel: From Progressive to Catastrophic Millennialism Yaakov Ariel 35. Millennialism and Radical Islamist Movements Jeffrey T. Kenney 36. Millennial Glossary Compiled by Catherine Wessinger 37. Index of Millennial Groups and Movements Index
Catherine Wessinger is Rev. H. James Yamauchi, S.J., Professor of the History of Religions at Loyola University New Orleans.
Reviews for The Oxford Handbook of Millennialism
From the opening typologies (catastrophic, progressive, avertive, and nativist millenialisms) to each article's robust bibliography, this book by an impressive roster of scholars consistently delivers impeccable scholarship...[T]his hefty tome is an indispensable reference. --CHOICE ...[A]ny scholar of millennialism worth his or her salt should have this on the shelf. --Nova Religio
