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Dread and Hope: Christian Eschatology and Pop Culture PDF

175 Pages·2022·1.232 MB·English
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Dread and Hope Theology and Pop Culture Series Editor: Matthew Brake The Theology and Pop Culture series examines the intersection of theology, religion, and popular culture, including, but not limited to television, movies, sequential art, and genre fiction. In a world plagued by rampant polarization of every kind and the decline of reli- gious literacy in the public square, Theology and Pop Culture is uniquely poised to educate and entertain a diverse audience utilizing one of the few things society at large still holds in common: love for popular culture. Titles in the Series Dread and Hope: Christian Eschatology and Pop Culture, by Joshua Wise Theology and the Game of Thrones, edited by Matthew Brake Theology and Spider-Man, edited by George Tsakiridis René Girard, Theology, and Pop Culture, edited by Ryan G. Duns & T. Derrick Witherington Theology and Horror: Explorations of the Dark Religious Imagination, edited by Brandon R. Grafius and John W. Morehead Sports and Play in Christian Theology, edited by Philip Halstead and John Tucker Theology and Westworld, edited by Juli Gittinger and Shayna Sheinfeld Theology and Prince, edited by Jonathan H. Harwell and Rev. Katrina E. Jenkins Theology and the Marvel Universe, edited by Gregory Stevenson Dread and Hope Christian Eschatology and Pop Culture Joshua Wise LEXINGTON BOOKS/FORTRESS ACADEMIC Lanham • Boulder • New York • London Published by Lexington Books/Fortress Academic Lexington Books is an imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 www .rowman .com 86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE, United Kingdom Copyright © 2022 by The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Wise, Joshua, author. Title: Dread and hope : Christian eschatology and pop culture / Joshua Wise. Description: Lanham : Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, [2022] | Series: Theology and pop culture | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “Dread and Hope brings early Christian hopes concerning the consummation of the cosmos and modern apocalyptic pop-culture into dialog. Drawing from a wide range of research and media, Joshua Wise examines how figures like Antiochus IV, Damien from The Omen, the Emperor Nero, and Winston Smith from Orwell’s 1984 inform each other”—Provided by publisher. Identifiers: LCCN 2021047101 (print) | LCCN 2021047102 (ebook) | ISBN 9781978708167 (cloth) | ISBN 9781978708174 (epub) Subjects: LCSH: Eschatology—Biblical teaching. | Eschatology. | Popular culture—Religious aspects—Christianity. Classification: LCC BS680.E8 W57 2022 (print) | LCC BS680.E8 (ebook) | DDC 236—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021047101 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021047102 ∞ ™ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992. This book is dedicated to Professor Michael Root, whose guidance, humor, and insight have helped me immeasurably, and allowed me to give my father one final gift. And to that group of scholars, friends, and aficionados of popular culture that gathered to debate, play games, and laugh. You who journeyed a little while through the Juniper House made difficult years shine with golden light. Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 1 The Collapse of All Things 15 2 The Evil One 35 3 When He Appears 55 4 The Living Dead 71 5 The Dread Judge 89 6 Hell 105 7 Kingdom Come 123 Conclusion 139 Appendix: The Rapture 149 Bibliography 151 Index 159 About the Author 163 vii Acknowledgments When assembling a work that references so many different elements of human effort, it is impossible to thank every person whose efforts have made such a thing possible. I owe unpayable debts to those who have been and remain my betters in academic and creative endeavors. This work in its current form would not be possible without the guidance of my professors throughout my educational career. As an undergraduate, my path away from an untenable interpretation of scripture was lit by the work of Mark Smith, Allen Kerkeslager, and Kenton Sparks. Their focus on sharp, crucial, and kind academic insight has remained with me. If there is anything good in this work with regard to the field of biblical studies, it is to their credit. The errors are solely mine. John Hoffmeyer and J. Jayakiran Sebastian pointed me firmly in the direc- tion of a broader theological tradition and a willingness to engage with the culture at large. They pulled me away from the assumption that the scholar must sit alone in his office or tower and think great and lofty thoughts. That this work includes both vampires and video games is due, to some great degree, to their call to be a theologian in the public sphere. I owe an immeasurable debt to Michael Root, who pointed me in the direc- tion of eschatology and modeled for me what it looks like to be a theologian of humor, humility, and generosity. Much of what I know about eschatology I learned sitting in his discussions, tracking the traditions from Athenagoras, through Augustine, to Aquinas and beyond. Without the scholarship and generosity of these academics and many oth- ers, this work would not have been possible. And, in every work of this type, I must give thanks to my friends and long- time collaborators, Fr. Benjamin Gildas, AF, and Fr. David Swantek. These ix

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