Revelation: An Introduction and Study Guide: Book of Torment, Book of Bliss

Description

This study guide explores the origins and reception history of the Book of Revelation and its continuing fascination for readers from both religious and secular backgrounds. Stephen D. Moore examines the transcultural impact Revelation has had, both within and beyond Christianity, not only on imaginings of when and how the world will end, but also on imaginings of the risen Jesus, heaven and hell, Satan, the Antichrist, and even Mary the mother of Jesus. Moore traces Revelation's remarkable reception through the ages, with special emphasis on its twentieth and twenty-first century appropriations, before resituating the book in its original context of production: Who wrote it, where, when, why, and modelled on what? The study guide culminates with a miniature commentary on the entire text of Revelation, weaving together liberationist, postcolonial, feminist, womanist, queer, and ecological approaches to the book in order to discern what it might mean for contemporary readers and communities concerned with issues of social justice.

Stephen D. Moore is Edmund S. Janes Professor of New Testament Studies at the Theological School, Drew University, USA.

An ambitious but accessible introduction to the Book of Revelation, this book surveys crucial interpretive dilemmas that matter for many contemporary readers. A terrific starting point for students and a welcome reference for critics, this text provides a helpful snapshot of Revelation's histories and possibilities. * Jacqueline M. Hidalgo, Williams College, USA * To write an introduction to Revelation is a daunting task to begin with, due to the number of often conflicting views and interpretations that have been presented and defended over the centuries. In this dense but highly accessible book, Stephen D. Moore not only manages to give the reader a keen sense of the issues that this biblical book raises, but also brings a fresh perspective to it with a decidedly contemporary agenda in mind, focusing on empire, gender, sex and ecology. In doing so, Moore invites the reader to read Revelation and read it again. * Caroline Vander Stichele, University of Tilburg, the Netherlands *