Paperback Apocalypse: How the Christian Church Was Left Behind [Paperback]

Robert M. Price (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 30, 2007

The great popularity of The Left Behind novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins attests to the strong appeal of apocalyptic beliefs in many conservative Christian communities. As biblical scholar Robert M. Price reveals in this history and critique of Christian end-time beliefs, LaHaye and Jenkins’s famous novels are just the latest examples of a long tradition of popular fundamentalist eschatology.
Price traces the origin and scriptural basis, which is sometimes astonishingly skimpy, for such beliefs as the Rapture, the Second Coming, the Antichrist, and Messianic prophecy. He emphasizes that the writers of the New Testament consistently set a first-century deadline for the return of Jesus Christ, and yet the stubborn fact that the Second Coming obviously did not occur has not deterred fundamentalist Christians from blindly predicting the event throughout the centuries up to the present day.
Price then critiques the raft of previous apocalyptic novels before turning to the Left Behind series. He offers both literary and theological criticism, while explaining the psychological appeal of the books. Finally, he offers a parody chapter on the Left Behind series called "Tribulation Farce."
With its approachable, engaging style, The Paperback Apocalypse makes complex scholarly research accessible to the interested lay reader. Seminarians, religion scholars, interested observers of the American religious scene, and even fans of the Left Behind series will learn much from Price’s in-depth scholarship.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With the scalpel of a trained biblical scholar, and the inside knowledge of a former fundamentalist preacher, Dr. Price is fully equipped to issue this relentless exposé of how the Left Behind series, among other Christian musings on the apocalypse, actually represent attempts to hide one of the greatest prophetic failures in history." -- Hector Avalos,author of The End of Biblical Studies

About the Author

Robert M. Price (Selma, NC), professor of scriptural studies at the Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary, is the editor (with Jeffery Jay Lowder) of The Empty Tomb: Jesus Beyond the Grave and the Journal of Higher Criticism. He is also the author of Top Secret: The Truth Behind Today’s Pop Mysticisms; The Paperback Apocalypse: How the Christian Church Was Left Behind; The Reason-Driven Life: What Am I Here on Earth For? and many other works.

Product Details

• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (September 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591025834
• ISBN-13: 978-1591025832
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.9 x 8.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #834,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert M. Price (Selma, NC), professor of scriptural studies at the Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary, is the editor (with Jeffery Jay Lowder) of The Empty Tomb: Jesus Beyond the Grave and the Journal of Higher Criticism. He is also the author of Top Secret: The Truth Behind Today's Pop Mysticisms; The Paperback Apocalypse: How the Christian Church Was Left Behind; The Reason-Driven Life: What Am I Here on Earth For? and many other works.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 55 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The End of The End of The World. . . December 16, 2007

By Scott Knickelbine

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Oh what fun it is to read Robert M. Price skewer modern apocalypticism in general and fundamentalist pretribulationism in particular, with his rapier-like wit and his daunting scholarship. Not content to point out the biblical errors and theological absurdities in the Left Behind Series, Price takes us on a guided tour of the whole notion of the End-Times, from the first stirrings of biblical apocalyptic to its appropriation by 19th century fundamentalists who invented the idea of the Rapture. Along the way we get a perceptive and funny review of every significant novel in the apocalyptic genre. Price closes with his own, side-splitting contribution to the genre, a "lost" final chapter of the Left Behind series, in which Rayford Steele and the rest of the Trib Force begin to suspect that the Millennium isn't all it's cracked up to be. A wonderful, enjoyable read.Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days (Left Behind #1)

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Price at his best. December 26, 2007

By J. Green

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book won't be read by the people who need to read it. It will be read by those who really don't need to read it. Price is mostly preaching to the choir. Having said that, this is entertaining reading. Price has an axe to gring with the Christian faith and he does that with great effect here. I wish he had been a little more objective. But it wouldn't have been nearly so much fun to read if that were the case. Price uses reverse apologetics in trying to prove the negative. As a Christian, I readliy admit the Bible has its problems and Price is very effective at homing in on those problems and exploring them in great detail. I find his writing challenging, informative and entertaining all at the same time. What more could you ask from an author? I even learned a new word! Verisimilitude seems to be a favortie of Mr. Price. Get used to it. You will see it a lot here. I highly recommend this book to every reader. It will encourage the non believer, challenge and inform the open minded believer, and infuriate fundamentalists.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Apocalypse When? February 3, 2008

By mrliteral TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

There are few more arrogant statements out there than the one I've seen on a few bumper stickers: "In case of Rapture, this car will be empty." Even assuming you are an ardent Christian who believes in an upcoming End Time, it is the height of pride to assume that you know exactly what God is thinking when he passes judgment. And, as Robert Price argues in The Paperback Apocalypse, chances are if you believe that the Bible (in particular, Revelation) promises a soon-to-come end of the world, you're going to be disappointed.

The motivation for Price's book are the popular Left Behind books by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, which Price demonstrates have more than a few problems from a Biblical interpretation standpoint. First, however, he provides a history of the Apocalypse and shows how Biblical chapters and verses have been misread (often intentionally) to promote the idea that the End is Coming. Hence, history is filled with people promising a Judgment Day at a certain time, only to have that day pass without even minimal fireworks.

Price deals with related concepts (such as the Second Coming) and shows the flaws in literal readings about them. He then discusses various apocalyptic novels: first, early ones which are generally more interested in preaching than storytelling, then later ones written by more adept authors. He also discusses mainstream novels such as Stephen King's The Stand that use apocalyptic ideas.

Finally, he gets to the where The Paperback Apocalypse is really leading: a dissection of the Left Behind books. Actually, it's more of a tearing apart. La Haye (the idea man for the books) is particularly criticized, and justifiably so. La Haye's version of Christianity is particularly hateful and not all that well reasoned; Price shows just how flawed (and vicious) La Haye's thought process really is. Jenkins (the writer) gets off relatively lightly, although he comes off as something of a sell-out for compromising his art to explain La Haye's vision. Price is not at his best when he speaks of Jenkins; on the one hand, he tries to portray Jenkins as a decent writer, but on the other, Price is constantly harping on bad plot devices and unbelievable characters.

Price describes himself as a former born-again Christian who seemingly grew out of that phase of his life yet still appears to be "reasonably" Christian. He admits an affection for these apocalyptic novels, but it comes off as the affection many people have for particularly bad movies. And though I have not read (nor have any desire to read) the Left Behind books, my brief looks at the books and the reviews I've picked up from others lead me to believe that they are the Plan 9 From Outer Space of apocalyptic novels.

Much as I agree with a lot of what Price says, he is really preaching to the choir. Few who enjoy the Left Behind (and similar) books and believe the themes they preach will pick up this book or accept the ideas inside. Indeed, La Haye and Jenkins seem to believe that critical thought is evil (so if they are appealing to "true" Christians, they are basically saying ignorance and blind faith are good...what a contemptible way to think of your audience!).

Price's writing is often interesting (and humorous) but also often ponderous (and not always logically consistent, such as his opinion of Jenkins), so under normal circumstances, I would only rate this three stars. On the other hand, I think his message is important enough that it is worth a bonus star. This is far from a perfect book, but it is an illuminating one.