I. The Canonical Sources of End Time Scenarios of the Apocalypse and the Millennium
  • Jan 21 -- Discussion of resources for presentations. All students should do a preliminary search of Web sites, as well as the library and other media.
  • Jan 28 -- The Story of the End Time in the Apocalypse of John, The Book of Revelation
  • Feb 2 -- Symbols and Motifs in the Mythology of Revelation, The Book of Revelation
  • Feb 4 -- Beasts, Throne Rooms, and the Son of Man, The Book of Daniel
  • Feb 9 -- Fallen Angels, the Daughters of Men, and the Watchers 1 Enoch 1-37
  • Feb 11 -- Other Components of Canonical Endtime Scenarios
    1. The Birth of a New Heaven and new Earth, Isaiah 56-66
    2. Endtime Preparation and Survivalism, The Scroll of the War Rule
    3. The War of Gog and Magog, Ezekiel 38-43
  • Feb 16 -- Specific Christian Components of Endtime Scenarios
    1. Resurrection from the Dead, 1 Thessalonians 4-5; 1 Corinthians 15
    2. The Parousia, Mark 13
    3. The Final Judgment, Matthew 25:31-46
  • Feb 18 -- Class discussion. Classical Apocalyptic Mythology, Genres, and Symbols.



II. Themes in Medieval Apocalyptics
  • Feb 23 -- Geo-Religious Themes and the End Time
    1. Barbarian Invasions and the Christian Empire
      • The [Alexander] Discourse of Jacob of Serugh (c. 451-521)
      • Revelations of Pseudo-Methodius (c. 680)
      • Gregory the Great, Homily on Ezekiel 2:6 (c. 600) pp. 62-3
    2. The Rise and Prophesied Fall of Islam
      • From the Revelations of Pseudo-Methodius (c.680) [The Moslem Crisis] p. 74
      • The Toledo Letter (c. 1187) p. 152
      • The Prophecy of the Son of Agap (c.1220) p. 153
      • William of Tripoli, Treatise on the Condition of the Saracens (c. 1270) p. 154
      • Roger Bacon, The Longer Work (c. 1280) p. 155


  • Feb 25 -- The Antichrist and His Many Uses
    1. -- Early Interpretations
      • Sulpicius Severus, Dialogues 1:41 (c. 430) [Nero]
        Quintus Julius Hilarianus, The Progress of Time, Procopius of Caesarea, Secret History (c. 550) [Justinian and Theodora]
      • Gregory the Great, Letter to Emperor Maurice (c. 597) [Pride]; Letter to Ethelbert, King of the Angels


    2. -- Adso's Reverse Hagiography: the Classic Antichrist Narrative: Adso Montier-En-Der, Letter to Queen Gerberga on the Origin and Time of the Antichrist Paulist

    3. -- Struggle between the Emperor and Papacy
      • Nicholas of Bari, Sermon on Frederick II (c. 1229)
      • Gregory IX, "Ascendit de Mari Bestia" (c. 1239)
      • Frederick II, "In Exordio Nascentis Mundi" (c. 1245)
      • Innocent IV as Antichrist (c. 1245)
      • Frederick and His Seed


  • Mar 2 -- The Apocalyptic Utopianism of Joachim de Fiore (1135-1202)
    1. -- Intellectus Spiritualis (Intellectual Vision)
      • Easter (c. 1185)
      • Pentecost Paulist

    2. -- The Three Status and the Novus Ordo (New People of God)
      • From the Book of Concordance
      • The Three Status
      • Three Visions of the Future Papacy and the Rise of the Spiritual Men
      • The Twelfth Table, from The Book of Figures, Paulist


  • Mar 4 -- The Prophetic Vision of Christopher Columbus
    • Letter from the Fourth Voyage (1502-04)
    • Selections from Columbus's Book of Prophecies (1501-02)
    • The Signature of Columbus and Proposed Interpretations


  • Mar 9 -- Class Discussion. Themes in Medieval Apocalyptics


    III. Themes in Modern Millennialism
    1. Post-Millennialism
      • Mar 11 -- Progressive History and "the Time of the Perfecting"; Gotthold Lessing, "The Education of the Human Race"
      • Mar 30 -- TBA
      • Apr 1 -- Post-Millennialism and the Creative Avant-garde Wassily Kandinsky, Concerning the Spiritual in Art -- see more - Kandinsky
      • Apr 6 -- TBA
      • Apr 8 -- TBA
      • Apr 13 -- Class Discussion. Themese in Modern Millennialism



    IV. Post-Modern Apocalyptic and the Millennium


    V. Beyond the Post-Modern to the next Millennium


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