Reading the Book of Revelation politically

In this essay the political use of Revelation in the first five centuries will be analysed in greatest detail, with some references to other examples. Focus will be on two trajectories of interpretation: literalist, eschatological readings and symbolic, spiritualizing interpretations of the text. Wh...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Villiers, Pieter GR De (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Stellenbosch University [2017]
In: Stellenbosch theological journal
Year: 2017, Volume: 3, Issue: 2, Pages: 339-360
IxTheo Classification:CG Christianity and Politics
HC New Testament
KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity
NBQ Eschatology
Further subjects:B symbolic
B Book of Revelation
B eschatological
B spiritualizing
B political considerations
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Description
Summary:In this essay the political use of Revelation in the first five centuries will be analysed in greatest detail, with some references to other examples. Focus will be on two trajectories of interpretation: literalist, eschatological readings and symbolic, spiritualizing interpretations of the text. Whilst the first approach reads the book as predictions of future events, the second approach links the text with spiritual themes and contents that do not refer to outstanding events in time and history. The essay will argue that both of these trajectories are ultimately determined by political considerations. In a final section, a contemporary reading of Revelation will be analysed in order to illustrate the continuing and important presence of political readings in the reception history of Revelation, albeit in new, unique forms.
ISSN:2413-9467
Contains:Enthalten in: Stellenbosch theological journal
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.17570/stj.2017.v3n2.a15