Review
A timely intellectual history of how the world is supposed to end. Covers the spectrum of Christian views, modern day American manifestations as well as New Age scenarios. He shows how the belief that the world will end is deeply embedded in the Western psyche but encourages his readers to live their lives to the full rather than become entangled in intricate forms of curiosity. --
Network, December 1998A valuable resource tool for anyone seeking information on the subject.... The book provides a valuable description and survey of the wide range of end-times views held throughout the Christian era. --
Bibliotheca Sacra, JanuaryMarch 1999Filled with scores of references to historical examples of apocalyptic warnings and predictions of impending destruction or disaster. The principal theoretical insight [Kyle] employs is the judgment that stress and social upheaval are leading reasons why apocalyptic ideas flourish and increase in any particular time period. Kyle also emphasizes the persistence and the elasticity of eschatological traditions, two additional accents worth remembering in our own day....The chief strength of this survey lies in Kyles willingness to adopt an inclusive approach to the topic of the last days. --
Church History, March 1999Kyles sane, judicious omnium gatherum provides for the intelligent nonspecialist a helpful taxonomy of end-times beliefs abroad in the land. Kyle examines the deep roots of apocalypticism and millennialism in early Christianity and traces some of the more exuberant outgrowths, especially in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The story of the repeated search for portents of the end, and of frequent disappointments, makes for fascinating reading. --
Religious Studies Review, April 1999The text is well documented, with scholarly endnotes, a rich bibliography, and a complete index. Despite the wealth of scholarly information, the writing style is very readable. Challenging those who interpret current events as signals of doom, Kyle warns against an obsession with end-times chronology. He also criticizes the equally troubling stance of total avoidance, reminding us that God is in control of history and we are to live in the light of that knowledge. --
Mennonite Brethren Herald, June 11, 1999The title of this book is a tongue-in-cheek way of saying that the date-setters for the end of the world are at it again. In the authors words this . . . is the history of an idea, the idea of how the world will end. Kyle (Tabor College) documents the phenomenon of predicting the end of the world from the first century C. E. up to the present. Making judicious critical use of both primary and secondary sources, he highlights the ebb and flow of apocalyptic speculation over the centuries, and also identifies some of the factors leading to that ebb and flow. He includes not only religious figures who have predicted the end but prophets who have used scientific and economic phenomena as bases for predicting that the end is near. On the whole Kyle does an excellent job of keeping personal biases in check and making an objective evaluation of the data that he analyses. Although he lapses into a somewhat confessional mode at the very end of the book, this is no major flaw. Recommended for general readers and undergraduates. --
John MaxwellYouve got to get this book and read it so that you can put to rest all the gloom and doom stuff thats literally dragging many congregations right down to the depths of despair and fear....Kyle, in a concise and readable style, traces the history of end of the world speculations, and demonstrates time and time again these have been a part of Christian history, right from the first century to modern times....This is a fascinating look through Christian history at a fascinating topicone that is very current and has captured the pulpits and thoughts of many Christians. --
Congregational Leadership Resources, May 1999
About the Author
Richard Kyle is professor of history and religion at Tabor College. He is the author of The Religious Fringe and The New Age Movement in American Culture. His Ph.D. is from the University of New Mexico.
