RELST 2640

Last Updated

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

RELST 2640
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)

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Syllabi:

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Choose one lecture and one discussion. Combined with: HIST 2630

  • 4 Credits Graded

  • 16617 RELST 2640   LEC 001

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  • 16618 RELST 2640   DIS 201

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  • 16619 RELST 2640   DIS 202

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  • 16620 RELST 2640   DIS 203

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