The End of the World As We Know It : : Faith, Fatalism, and Apocalypse in America / / Daniel N. Wojcik.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter New York University Press Archive eBook-Package Pre-2000
• VerfasserIn: Wojcik, Daniel N.,
• Place / Publishing House: New York, NY : : New York University Press, , [1999]; ©1999
• Year of Publication: 1999
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource

From religious tomes to current folk prophesies, recorded history reveals a plethora of narratives predicting or showcasing the end of the world. The incident at Waco, the subway bombing by the Japanese cult Aum Supreme Truth, and the tragedy at Jonestown are just a few examples of such apocalyptic scenarios. And these are not isolated incidents; millions of Americans today believe the end of the world is inevitable, either by a divinely ordained plan, nuclear catastrophe, extraterrestrial invasion, or gradual environmental decay, Examining the doomsday scenarios and apocalyptic predictions of visionaries, televangelists, survivalists, and various other endtimes enthusiasts, as well as popular culture, film, music, fashion, and humor, Daniel Wojcik sheds new light on America's fascination with worldly destruction and transformation. He explores the origins of contemporary apocalyptic beliefs and compares religious and secular apocalyptic speculation, showing us the routes our belief systems have traveled over the centuries to arrive at the dawn of a new millennium. Included in his sweeping examination are premillennial prophecy traditions, prophecies associated with visions of the Virgin Mary, secular ideas about nuclear apocalypse, the transformation of apocalyptic prophecy in the post-Cold War era, and emerging apocalyptic ideas associated with UFOs and extraterrestrials. Timely, yet of lasting importance, The End of the World as We Know It is a comprehensive cultural and historical portrait of an age-old phenomenon and a fascinating guide to contemporary apocalyptic fever.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- 1. Approaching Doomsday -- 2. The American Apocalyptic Legacy -- 3. Signs of the Endtimes -- 4. Apocalyptic Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in New York City -- 5. Secular Apocalyptic Themes in the Nuclear Era -- 6. Fatalism and Apocalyptic Beliefs -- 7. The Transformation of Apocalyptic Traditions in the Post-Cold War Era -- 8. Emergent Apocalyptic Beliefs about UFOs and Extraterrestrial Beings -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index