A History of the End of the World: How the Most Controversial Book in the Bible Changed the Course of Western Civilization (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The question of how and when the world will end has captivated thinkers for centuries. Wars, natural disasters, social upheaval and personal suffering often send believers back to the writings of their prophets and seers, whose gift is to bring satisfying answers to such questions. The book most studied in the Western tradition is Revelation, the last entry in the Christian canon. Kirsch, an attorney and book columnist for the Los Angeles Times, takes the reader on a delightful 2,000-year journey as he explores a text he describes as "a romantic tale, full of intrigue and suspense" and shows how churches, philosophers, clergy and armchair interpreters have promoted their political, social and religious agendas based on their belief that the end was imminent. Some of this history can be quite sobering, as the powerful have waged wars and built societies based on their varying perceptions of Revelation's message. However, consistent with Kirsch's earlier literary efforts, in particular The Harlot by the Side of the Road, the author exercises great care while treating his material with both sobriety and a healthy sense of the ironic. Written clearly and for a general audience, this is a fine book that merits wide readership. (Sept.)
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From The Washington Post

The question of whether religions have historically done more harm or good is one of those debates that persist well beyond their proper sophomore-year expiration date. But there is a less futile variation on the argument: What is it in specific faith traditions that can lead to dangerous interpretations?

In the five years since 9/11, much time has been devoted to identifying the elements of Islam that lend themselves to a hateful jihadist ideology. Less has been devoted to what is incendiary in the other two Abrahamic traditions: Judaism and Christianity. Jonathan Kirsch, the author of several acclaimed books on religious themes, goes some way toward remedying that deficit in this thoughtful history and analysis of the most controversial book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation.

A work so problematic that many early Church Fathers found it unfit for inclusion in the canon, it also troubled many later Christians. "There is one sufficient reason for the small esteem in which I hold it -- that Christ is neither taught in it nor recognized," wrote the great reformer Martin Luther. Even those Christians who made an uneasy truce with the book urged caution: St. Augustine, for example, warned against any literal interpretation of its symbol-strewn wordscape.

Unfortunately, Kirsch shows, Augustine's admonition has been honored more in the breach than in the observance. The book's notion of the imminent end of the world and its "phantasmagoria of words, numbers, colors, images, and incidents" describing the end-times have been employed in works of high art, as well as in some of the wilder fantasies and fulminations to issue from pulpits, religious tracts and popular fiction. The Antichrist, the Great Whore of Babylon, the Battle of Armageddon, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the number 666: These have been picked up by zealots bent on any number of religious, political or cultural crusades, from the art-destroying Savanarola in 15th-century Florence to contemporary figures as different as the Waco cult leader David Koresh and the hectoring Moral Majoritarian Jerry Falwell. "Above all," writes Kirsch, "Revelation is now -- and has always been -- a potent rhetorical weapon in a certain kind of culture war, a war of contesting values and aspirations that has been waged throughout human history."

Although apocalyptic themes can be traced to the Zoroastrian religion of ancient Persia, it took the Hebrew idea of a God working through history to give the vision real purchase. Apocalyptic writing actually emerged rather late in the Hebrew tradition, though it borrowed from the earlier literature of prophecy. But instead of pointing to a future earthly kingdom under a god-anointed king, as the prophets had done, apocalyptic visionaries proposed an otherworldly paradise and offered a new explanation for evil in the world, elevating Satan from a mere tempter (Genesis) or accuser (Job) to the full-blown adversary of God and the source of all evil.

But what accounts for the emergence of apocalyptic writing? Part of the answer, Kirsch helpfully explains, is a culture war that erupted in Judea in the 4th century B.C. between strict Jews and those who had adopted the Hellenistic ways of their Greek conquerors -- ways that included participation in Greek athletic games. Finding the conspicuous hedonism of these Hellenized Jews repulsive, the other faction launched a moral crusade against it.

Another instigation to apocalypticism was an actual armed struggle that broke out in the 2nd century B.C., when the followers of Judah Maccabee revolted against a tyrannical Syrian despot, Antiochus, who was trying to eradicate Judaism from the land that the Syrians governed. To strengthen the Maccabeans' resolve, charismatic authors wove tales rich with strange visionary elements and the promise, Kirsch writes, of "a day of bloody revenge against their enemies." Only one apocalyptic tale found its way into the Hebrew Bible (the book of Daniel), but scores of others were produced throughout Judea. Those written during the decades preceding and following the life of Jesus, when the Romans tightened their rule over the rebellious province, gave new importance to the figure of the messiah, casting him not just as a mortal prince but also as a celestial savior.

So while Revelation, like many other New Testament books, contains what appear to be strongly anti-Semitic elements (including its rant against the "synagogue of Satan"), it grew directly out of a literary tradition associated with one important strain of pre-rabbinical Judaism. Indeed, the obvious Jewishness of the text is one reason that it gave pause to later Christian leaders. Where was the sweet emphasis upon love and forgiveness that comes through so strongly in the Gospels? Some scholars suggest that the core story of Revelation, minus certain superficial Christian additions, was written by someone who wasn't even a Christian.

But Revelation nonetheless was canonized as part of the New Testament, and Kirsch offers a thorough account of the intellectual and spiritual mischief that Revelation has spawned -- and also some of the good. Medieval Catholics used the book to justify the Crusades, support reform efforts and validate persecution of the Jews, while later Protestant reformers (including the same Luther who objected to Revelation) drew on its imagery to attack Catholicism and the papacy. "I do not know whether the pope himself be Antichrist or his apostle," Luther wrote, apparently without blushing.

Ironically, enthusiasm for Revelation was always stronger in western Christendom than in the eastern part of the Christian world where the text was produced. That irony proved most true, Kirsch shows, when Revelation made its way to the New World, where apocalyptic imagery was applied to practically every major development in American history, from the Puritan witch-hunt craze to the Civil War to any number of social and moral crusades in the 20th and 21st centuries. While apocalypticism has inspired progressive causes, including the civil rights vision of Martin Luther King Jr., it increasingly came to support a fundamentalist conception of a properly Christian society.

Apocalyptic notions are never scarier than when they creep into politics, as they did quite openly in the pronouncements of Ronald Reagan. "Apparently never in history have so many of the prophecies come true in such a relatively short time," the then-governor of California declared in 1968. And though Reagan learned to tone down such pronouncements as president, he never abandoned his belief in the approaching Armageddon.

If the current occupant of the White House "does not speak in the familiar vocabulary of apocalyptic fundamentalism," Kirsch writes, "it is mostly because a new and updated 'language arsenal' has been deployed in contemporary America" -- an arsenal that in this case, Kirsch explains, uses code phrases such as "intelligent design" and "culture of life." But many of the president's policies resonate powerfully with a large fundamentalist community that takes apocalyptic notions, including those that apply to Israel, with a fervent literalism. For them, and many others, the rapture draws nigh.

Reviewed by Jay Tolson
Copyright 2006, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (August 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060816988
• ISBN-13: 978-0060816988
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #322,866 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars AN ENGROSSING, CONTROVERSIAL LOOK INTO THE ORIGINS OF ESCHATOLOGY!, August 28, 2006

By	RBSProds "rbsprods" (Deep in the heart of Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Three and a Half Engrossing Stars!!
"A History of the End of the World" makes it's appearance at a crucial time: when there seems to be so much war and terrorism, death and destruction, and political tension taking place across the world and in the Middle East. This book begins by citing a famous bumper sticker which says "I know the ending. God wins". This book focuses on, but is not confined to, the last book of the Bible. The Revelation (aka The Apocalypse) is a book so heavily coded that "names, numbers, colors, and images in {John's} visions are ciphers that must be decoded to yield their actual meanings". Many try to use it as comparison to today's events to determine if we are nearing "the end times" or the "left behind" phase of redemptive history.

Mr Kirsch's book diligently sorts through the optional views and influences of this magnificent biblical book of prophesy, as he digs deeper than most in this area. In fact, he surveys the history of other "apocalyptic" writings that preceded Revelation, especially noting the effect of Hellenism and Antiochus the Madman on some of those writings. And he cites the biblical Book of Daniel as a direct source for Revelation or even a mini-Apocalypse because of it's prophesies. (But Christians would state it is God who is doing the writing and the comparing.)

Many believe The Revelation was written by (Saint) John, the 'beloved' apostle. Mr Kirsch notes that despite the specific mention of John as the author, some people question the 'true' authorship of Revelation. And he makes no bones about the fact that he believes Revelation's author actually used "models and sources" from ancient biblical writings that he "knew, loved, and copied"(p.24). He relates that Satan even is given a lesser adversarial role in the heavenly court prior to the New Testament and John's Revelation which paints Satan as "the Beast". And he takes issue with statements by not only John, but Jesus himself with regard to the timing of the "end times", which may upset some Christians. Mr Kirsch may have opened himself to controversy with some of his statements, but this book is more of a survey of everything rather than a definitive study taking a hard-line position. So a Christian Fundamentalist may read some things he would rather not see. OR maybe not. I know I had some trepidation, but I kept reading. And he documents well the controversy as to whether Revelation should have been included in the Bible at all, which it finally was, according to him, in most manuscripts by the tenth century. Then he documents the twists and turns of each century, including the madness of the millennial year 1000, in dealing with Revelation. Centuries of seers, visionaries, and believers each weighing in on their interpretation.

The overall focus of this book is on the influence that Revelation has had on Western Civilization. The author states it "Changed the Course of Western Civilization". A very lofty and speculative claim. The author begins to state his case, however, by citing many common everyday terms as originating in The Revelation: "Satan", "grapes of wrath", "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse", "grim reaper", "anti-Christ", "lake of fire", "fire and brimstone", the number "666", "thousand year reign", "last judgement", "Battle of Armageddon", the number "7" "a great sign appeared in the heavens", "Gog and Magog" (he makes an interesting point about these terms) and so on. Add to that the centuries old guessing game of the identity of "the Beast" and you have a book that fires the imagination, but will cause the Christian adherents to brand it as a strictly a SECULAR work of biblical scholarship.

Elsewhere he cites the effect of The Revelation on western civilization and the likes of Richard the Lion-Hearted, Hitler, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. & George W. Bush (Presidents #41 and #43), among others. In light of the controversial statements, many Christians who 'walk by faith and not by sight' may find this book ultimately disappointing and they may want to be headed in the direction of Billy Graham, Dallas Willard, or Scott Hahn for a more traditional Christian treatment of The Revelation. But, even so, it serves a double purpose of being a fascinating and exhaustive history of apocalyptic writings pre- and post-dating Revelation, whether you believe Revelation is divinely inspired or not divinely inspired. Sign me up with the former. Otherwise, buckle up, dig in, and prepare to be amazed at the incredible interest in eschatology that many of us have had over the centuries. The words of Dionysius reverberate through this book, "[T]hose things which I do not understand I do not reject, but I wonder the more that I cannot comprehend". Faith must carry the day!
Three and a Half Rigorous Stars for scholarship and diligence, with a caution for the religious squeamish!

56 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cuts Through Evangelical Fundamentalist Garbage.., August 25, 2006

By	Jack Robert Fixx ""I'll give you somethin... (Earth) - See all my reviews

I happened to come across this tasty volume by accident and found myself up half the night sucked into its pages. The author covers all aspects of Revelations and does an exhaustive, yet entertaining critique of the stories aka metaphors contained therein. For End of the World Enthusiasts and Conspiracy Buffs, some of your paranoia will dissipate. For die hards, forget it. They'll believe what they want to believe. For Evangelicals and Fundamentalist Yahoos, you might just lose some steam. This book has something for everyone. It's an intelligent cultural study of a book in the Bible that's been bandied about for centuries. There will be no absolutes when you get to the end. But you will have learned what all the fuss is about. Sure to tick off more than a few know it all holier than thou folks for its bold candor. Maybe that's why I like it so much.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent History Of The Search For The End, January 21, 2007

By	John D. Cofield - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is an engrossing study of the most enigmatic book of the Bible: Revelation, and the impact it has had over the last two millennia. I have read and studied Revelation several times over the years. As a child the idea of the Last Judgment and the end of the world used to terrify me, and as an adult I found the bizarre imagery and even more bizarre interpretations of Revelation off-putting and ridiculous. I'm glad Jonathan Kirch has provided this history, which helps to make sense out of much that seems senseless.

Revelation is supposed to have been written by the Apostle John, but as Kirsch demonstrates, that identification is highly doubtful. I enjoyed reading the first few chapters in which Kirsch analyzes the origins of and early reception given to Revelation, but the later chapters, which trace the influence of Revelation down through the centuries, were particularly interesting. I was struck by how similar so many prophets of Apocalypse seem, even when they lived many centuries apart, and by how often they misinterpreted the same segments of Revelation.

The most important parts of Kirsch's work deal with the effect Revelation has had on the present world, particularly through what I believe is its willful misinterpretation by some so-called religious and political "leaders", whose cynical exploitation of the hopes and fears of many sincerely religious people has allowed them to gain influence and power. Hopefully, Kirsch's expose of the fraudulent nature of these misinterpretations will help repair some of the damage done to our world by those who would exploit those who fear its imminent ending.