Prophecy in the New Millennium: When Prophecies Persist

Prophecy in the New Millennium: When Prophecies Persist
ISBN-10
1472400615
ISBN-13
9781472400611
Category
Religion
Pages
312
Language
English
Published
2013-05-28
Publisher
Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Authors
Dr Suzanne Newcombe, Ms Sarah Harvey

Description

Secular and spiritual prophets of doom abound in the information-rich twenty-first century - as they have for millennia. But there has yet to be worldwide floods, meteor impact, global computer failure, obvious alien contact, or direct intervention from God to end the world as we know it. Considering the frequency with which prophecy apparently fails, why do prophecies continue to be made, and what social functions do they serve? This volume gives a concise, but comprehensive, overview of the rich diversity of prophecy, its role in major world religions as well as in new religions and alternative spiritualties, its social dynamics and its impact on individuals’ lives. Academic analyses are complimented with contextualized primary source testimonies of those who live and have lived within a prophetic framework. The book argues that the key to understanding the more dramatic, apocalyptic and millenarian aspects of prophecy is in appreciating prophecy’s more mundane manifestations and its role in providing meaning and motivation in everyday life.

Other editions

Similar books