Apocalyptic rhetoric and its effect on religious identity

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

9 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

05/31/2009

Category :

Political science

Sub category :

Humanities/philosophy

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Summary :

Introduction
Functional definitions of apocalypticism
The symbolic practices
The question of evil in apocalyptic texts
The temple in apocalyptic text
The similitudes of Enoch
The law in apocalyptic literature
Judgment in apocalyptic literature
Conclusion
Bibliography

Abstract

Apocalypticism offers a unique rhetoric of violence. Israelite people experienced violence and domination for centuries under the control of Persians, Greeks, Selucids, Ptolemies, and Roman rulers. Israelite identity was challenged under these occupying forces because the God of Israel was a national God occupying a spatial existence in the Jerusalem Temple. The sovereignty of God and the holiness of the Temple must have been called to question when Jerusalem fell to the dominion of outside empires. In their reality of oppression, evil has broken into the world and divine power must have been thwarted or opposed to explain the suffering of their day. Apocalypticism springs out of this reality to offer solace and hope to the Israelite people while preserving cultic identity.apocalyptic literature develops a complex and nuanced understanding of how evil entered the world in a cosmic manner. Evil not only is unethical behavior, but a cosmic force which corrupts reality. Paolo Sacchi, scholar of apocalyptic literature, developed an understanding of the genre through understanding the question of evil. "The underlying problem is the origin of evil, and the distinctively apocalyptic solution lies in the idea that evil is prior to human will and is the result of an original sin that has irredeemably corrupted creation." Apocalypticism deals with the corruption of evil in many ways because apocalypticism was not only a genre of literature, but also a worldview and a social force in the ancient near east. Communities formed based on apocalypticism, such as the Qumran community and the Jesus movement. These communities lived a reality where the problems of evil were understood through apocalyptic rhetoric and patterned their lives in response to this worldview.