Revelation : book of torment, book of bliss : an introduction and study guide

highlights the transcultural effect that Revelation has not only on Christian imaginings of the afterlife and depictions of Satan, but on every culture formed by Christianity, forming a potent idea of what is to come in the world's eventual destruction. Moore introduces all the key aspects of Revelation before offering a guide that considers what Revelation might mean for our present, as opposed merely to the context of the text's creation, Moore turns to empire-critical, postcolonial, feminist and ecological readings, arguing that all four themes intertwine intricately in Revelation. In reflecting on the text's reception throughout the centuries, with a culmination in its impact on 20th-and 21st-century US culture, the analysis of the context of the book's initial creation, and applying the aforementioned contemporary themes and tropes in a miniature commentary on the text, Moore writes for all those who are drawn to this apocalyptic culmination to the Christian belief system"-Provided by publisher. Identifiers: LCCN 2020036426 (print) | LCCN 2020036427 (ebook) | ISBN 9780567696779 (pb) | ISBN 9780567696786 (hb) | ISBN 9780567696793 (epub) | ISBN 9780567696816 (epdf) Subjects: LCSH: Bible. Revelation-Criticism, interpretation, etc. Classification: LCC BS2825.52 .M655 2021 (print) | LCC BS2825.52 (ebook) | DDC 228/.061-dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020036426 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020036427 "This study guide explores the relevance of the Book of Revelation, and the continuing fascination that it creates for readers from both secular and faith backgrounds. Stephen D. Moore highlights the transcultural effect that Revelation has not only on Christian imaginings of the afterlife and depictions of Satan, but on every culture formed by Christianity, forming a potent idea of what is to come in the world's eventual destruction. Moore introduces all the key aspects of Revelation before offering a guide that considers what Revelation might mean for our present, as opposed merely to the context of the text's creation, Moore turns to empire-critical, postcolonial, feminist and ecological readings, arguing that all four themes intertwine intricately in Revelation. In reflecting on the text's reception throughout the centuries, with a culmination in its impact on 20th- and 21st-century US culture, the analysis of the context of the book's initial creation, and applying the aforementioned contemporary themes and tropes in a miniature commentary on the text, Moore writes for all those who are drawn to this apocalyptic culmination to the Christian belief system"-- Provided by publisher This study guide explores the origins and reception history of the Book of Revelation and its continuing fascination for readers from both religious and secular backgrounds. Stephen D. Moore examines the transcultural impact Revelation has had, both within and beyond Christianity, not only on imaginings of when and how the world will end, but also on imaginings of the risen Jesus, heaven and hell, Satan, the Antichrist, and even Mary the mother of Jesus. Moore traces Revelation’s remarkable reception through the ages, with special emphasis on its twentieth and twenty-first century appropriations, before resituating the book in its original context of production: Who wrote it, where, when, why, and modelled on what? The study guide culminates with a miniature commentary on the entire text of Revelation, weaving together liberationist, postcolonial, feminist, womanist, queer, and ecological approaches to the book in order to discern what it might mean for contemporary readers and communities concerned with issues of social justice. Cover Contents Acknowledgements 1 Why read Revelation? Revelation’s reverberations Revelation, liberation, subjugation 2 Revelation’s reception How to read an apocalypse apocalyptically From Revelation to revolution Revelation and Rapture Revelation in popular culture 3 Revelation’s production What is Revelation? What’s in a number? Who wrote Revelation? When was Revelation written? Why was Revelation written? 4 A micro-commentary on Revelation ‘I saw one like a genderqueer person of color’ Jezebel thrown on a bed A dead elephant in the divine throne room The Jewish apocalypse of John Just vengeance? An eclipse of the son Loathing (while loving) Babylon The book of blood The ecoapocalypse of John Works Cited Index of Biblical References Index of Authors Acknowledgements -- 1. Why Read Revelation? -- 2. Revelation's Reception -- 3. Revelation's Production -- 4. A Micro-Commentary on Revelation Works Cited Author Index