Millennialism in Comparative Perspective

A study of 'religiously inspired revolutionist movements.' It is stressed that in any comparative study of millennarianism, wider cultural considerations must be taken into account. 'Goals of a millennarian movement are the awakening & preparation of men to the fact that this worl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Comparative studies in society and history 1963-10, Vol.6 (1), p.93-114
Main Author: Wilson, Bryan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Christianity
Culture contact
Judaism
Millennial Movements
Millennium/Millenarian/ Millenarianism
Movement/Movements
Myths
Pariahs
Political movements
Prophets
Revolution/Revolutions/ Revolutionary
Social change
Social movements
Supernaturalism
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Summary:A study of 'religiously inspired revolutionist movements.' It is stressed that in any comparative study of millennarianism, wider cultural considerations must be taken into account. 'Goals of a millennarian movement are the awakening & preparation of men to the fact that this world is to be transformed.' There is an extra-rational element to the means which these movements believe will operate to bring about the millennium. In some movements, certain arbitrarily defined activities, or symbolic rituals, are considered necessary to insure a prepared condition; others may imitate rational steps toward the establishment of a new dispensation. The majority of these movements are governed by revelation & prophecy: they expect something which is beyond man's capacity to realize. Charismatic leadership, cultural continuities between movements & their existential & ideological context, & autochthonous movements & the role of cultural diffusion are discussed. Theories presented by W. E. Muhlmann in CHILIASMUS UND NATIVISMUS: STUDIEN ZUR PSYCHOLOGIE, SOZIOLOGIE UND HISTORISCHEN KASUISTIK DER UMSTURZBEWEGUN- GEN, (Chiliasm and Nativism: Studies on the Psychology, Sociology, and Historical Casuistics of Revolutionary Movements), 1961, & works by S. Thrupp, W. J. Knoob, J. van der Kroef, W. H. Lindig, & Alfons M. Dauer, are subject to re-examination. 'What is most needed is a clear distinction between millennialism in diff soc contexts.' E. Weiman.
ISSN:0010-4175
1475-2999
1471-633X
DOI:10.1017/S0010417500002000