Apocalyptic Movements in Contemporary Politics This page intentionally left blank Apocalyptic Movements in Contemporary Politics Christian and Jewish Zionism Carlo Aldrovandi Trinity College Dublin, Ireland © Carlo Aldrovandi 2014 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2014 978-0-230-28041-0 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6– 10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2014 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-32761-4 ISBN 978-1-137-31684-4 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/9781137316844 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress Typeset by MPS Limited, Chennai, India. To Maria Antonia Calderan and Enrico Aldrovandi, with love This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgements ix Introduction: Political Religions and Theo-Politics 1 1 Meaning at the End 11 The eschaton 13 The abolition of history 14 The everlasting Covenant 15 ‘Now already,’ but ‘not yet’ 19 Defining the Apocalypse 22 The Zoroastrian lore 27 Birth pangs 29 Origins is the goal 32 2 Millenarianism, Messianism and Absolute Politics 36 Messianism 38 Palingenesis 42 Pre- and postmillennialism 45 Apocalyptic and naturalistic messianism 49 An eschaton beyond reach 52 A creative tension 54 Forcing the End 55 The transitional phase 58 3 Jewish Religious Zionism 62 A revolutionary c ounter- s ociety 65 An anti- messianic undertaking 70 The Haredi world 75 The Religious Zionist synthesis 79 The Kookist triangle 80 The Lurianic lore 82 Saving God 84 A perfect symmetry 85 Saints despite themselves 88 Eretz Yisrael 92 A medium of religious performance 96 The Messianic Age 99 A ‘Torahcratic republic’ 101 vii viii Contents Between June 1967 and October 1973 105 Gush Emunim as a revitalization movement 108 The ‘McJihad’ paradox 111 Normalization 116 Yamit 119 The apocalyptic turn 121 4 US Christian Zionism 129 Dispensationalism 135 The cult of the text 137 Dual Covenant 142 Restorationism 143 Purging Eretz Yisrael 145 The seeds of Amalek 150 People who must dwell alone 155 Jacob’s troubles 156 Vertical escapism 157 The Armageddon complex 160 Jerusalem as a thermometer 161 Utopian peace 162 Giving up on the world 164 Participatory shift 167 The politics of the Apocalypse 169 Pastor Hagee’s two hats 175 Adversus Ioudaeos 181 An ironic o ver- assurance 192 5 Cultural Apocalypse 195 A nation tottering on the brink of chaos 196 A new ‘plausibility structure’ 201 Axis of evil 206 The end of the Apocalypse? 217 Conclusion: Two Parallel Lines 221 Notes 228 Select Bibliography 250 Index 253 Acknowledgements This book was originally written as a PhD thesis undertaken at the Department of Peace Studies at Bradford University. I would first like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Professor Jim Whitman, who guided me through the entire process and from whose help, generos- ity and encouragement I have profited enormously over many years. I must make special mention of the Consortium for Peace Studies at Calgary University, for supporting the early stage of my research and for its hospitality. In the production of this book, I was very fortunate to receive excellent professional assistance from Naomi Robinson and Palgrave Macmillan. Above all, my thanks go to my wife, Sophie: without her care, love and sense of humour, this book would not have been possible. ix
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