TELEVISION

Apocalypse: Controversies and Meaning in Western History

Series: Great Courses
4.4
(22)
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Episodes
24
Rating
NR
Year
2011
Language
English
Publisher
The Great Courses

About

What are we to make of the book of Revelation? The Apocalypse: Controversies and Meaning in Western History, by a leading scholar, Professor Craig R. Koester, is your guide to this extraordinary work and its impact on our civilization. Engage directly with Revelation, examining its meaning in John's day and how it continues to be meaningful to contemporary readers.

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Episodes

1. Revelation and the Apocalyptic Tradition

30m

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Professor Koester introduces one of the most discussed books of all time: the book of Revelation, also known as the Apocalypse. Learn the original meaning of "apocalypse" and the importance of the apocalyptic tradition. Also survey the three-part structure of the course.

2. Apocalyptic Worldview in Judaism

30m

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Investigate the world of the Hebrew prophets, whose writings deeply influenced the author of the Apocalypse. First, focus on the themes of evil and hope in such works as Ezekiel and Isaiah. Then, see how these themes are taken up in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the apocalyptic book of Daniel.

3. Apocalyptic Dimension of Early Christianity

30m

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Consider how the apocalyptic worldview, with its strong sense of conflicting powers, was taken up and transformed by Christian writers in the New Testament. Apocalyptic themes had an important place in the early church, creating the religious matrix out of which the book of Revelation arose.

4. Origins of the Book of Revelation

30m

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Begin your close study of the text of the Apocalypse by looking behind the legends to surmise what can be said about its origins and author, identified only as John. Also examine the peculiar quality of John's Greek, which is not apparent in most translations.

5. Issues Facing Revelation's First Readers

30m

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The first two chapters of Revelation discuss the issues facing the Christian communities that first received the book. Delve deeper into the experiences of the men and women addressed by John. What was the nature of the persecution and other problems they faced? Who was this book written for?

6. God, the Lamb, and the Seven Seals

30m

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John's distinctive images - his "word pictures" - have captured the imaginations of readers for centuries. Plunge into some of John's most vivid scenes, including the breaking of the seven seals, which unleashes the four horsemen and other startling visions.

7. Seven Trumpets, Temple, and Celebration

30m

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Analyze the middle section of the Apocalypse from two contrasting perspectives: first, from the futurist view that Revelation is a book of ominous predictions; then, from the literary perspective that seeks to understand how John organizes his details into a narrative that is surprisingly hopeful.

8. The Dragon and the Problem of Evil

30m

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Turn to some of the most dramatic scenes in the Apocalypse, which deal with the problem of evil, personified by Satan, the great red dragon. John's account draws on an ancient fascination with stories of good battling evil, but he gives a bold new interpretation to the conflict.

9. The Beasts and Evil in the Political Sphere

30m

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Trace John's depiction of evil through the images of the two beasts. The beast from the sea, whose name equals 666, works in the realm of politics. The beast from the land supports the beast from the sea through practices that serve worldly empire.

10. The Harlot and the Imperial Economy

30m

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Encounter Babylon the harlot, one of the most remarkable figures in the Apocalypse. She symbolizes the city of Rome in all its ancient opulence. Two literary forms useful for understanding John's metaphor are satire and the obituary. John is both satirizing Rome's decadence and sounding its death knell.

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