Hungry for Heaven

Why do some endtime enthusiasts become violent while
others do not? There are no simple clean-cut answers
to the question. From the perspective of comparative
religion the author presents some guidelines for
understanding the complexity of rhetorical
''apocalyptic terror''.
By focusing on the end she argues that hunger for
urgent and dramatic societal change does not
automatically imply violent behaviour.
Leppäkari uses case studies and theological analysis
to tackle the problem of violence within the context
of Jewish and Christian endtime activists working
from within the city Jerusalem and argues that
intense transmissions of apocalyptic representations
are sources of inspiration which can motivate people
to act, whether peacefully or violently for a cause.
When making a transition from "interpreting God s
will" to "acting out God''s will", significant changes
have taken place. These changes in apocalyptic
tendencies need, however, not to result in outbreaks
of violence.

Autorentext

is ThD in comparative religion, principal lecturer in health and social sciences at Novia University of Applied Science in Finland. She is the author of Apocalyptic Representations.

Klappentext
Why do some endtime enthusiasts become violent while others do not? There are no simple clean-cut answers to the question. From the perspective of comparative religion the author presents some guidelines for understanding the complexity of rhetorical 'apocalyptic terror'. By focusing on the end she argues that hunger for urgent and dramatic societal change does not automatically imply violent behaviour. Leppäkari uses case studies and theological analysis to tackle the problem of violence within the context of Jewish and Christian endtime activists working from within the city Jerusalem and argues that intense transmissions of apocalyptic representations are sources of inspiration which can motivate people to act, whether peacefully or violently for a cause. When making a transition from "interpreting God's will" to "acting out God's will", significant changes have taken place. These changes in apocalyptic tendencies need, however, not to result in outbreaks of violence.