HIST 2630

Last Updated

  • Schedule of Classes - January 31, 2019 7:14PM EST
  • Course Catalog - January 31, 2019 7:15PM EST

HIST 2630
Histories of the Apocalypse: From Nostradamus to Nuclear Winter

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2018-2019.

Brexit, immigration, and the election of Donald Trump have all been recently heralded as signs of an imminent apocalypse. Films and fiction are saturated with images of zombies, environmental catastrophe, or nuclear disaster. Why are we so fascinated with the end of the world, and what is the genealogy of this imagery? What can visions of Armageddon tell us about past societal hopes and anxieties? How were they used to make claims about human nature and about who did and did not deserve salvation? This course traces apocalyptic thought from the Protestant reformation onwards, with a particular emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe. Case studies range from radical millenarian sects to Chernobyl, and readings include all from Dostoevsky to Czech New Wave cinema. 

When Offered Fall.

Breadth Requirement (HB)
Distribution Category (HA-AS)
Course Subfield (HPE,HNU)

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Syllabi:

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Choose one lecture and one discussion. Combined with: RELST 2640

  • 4 Credits Graded

  • 16613 HIST 2630   LEC 001

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  • 16614 HIST 2630   DIS 201

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  • 16615 HIST 2630   DIS 202

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  • 16616 HIST 2630   DIS 203

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