The Reality of Apocalypse: Rhetoric and Politics in the Book of Revelation (Symposium Series (Society of Biblical Literature), No. 39.) (Society of Biblical Literature Symposium)

Far from spinning a fantasy of what will never be, the book of Revelation depicts an alternate social world in order to shape the community and individual identity of an audience living under imperial rule. To highlight the Apocalypse s meaning for its original audience, this volume focuses on two interrelated themes pulsing throughout Revelation: rhetoric and politics. It considers rhetorical strategies and tactics in Revelation and demonstrates how its rhetoric fits the situation in Roman Asia Minor and the struggle within the Apocalypse community. It also examines community and cultural conflicts, showing how myth, symbol, and liturgy function as means of resistance in an imperial setting. By offering a fresh window on the lively interplay between imagination and history, between words and worlds, this volume will be indispensable for anyone seeking to understand current scholarly analysis of the book of Revelation. The contributors are Gregory L. Linton, David E. Aune, David L. Barr, Greg Carey, Paul Duff, Steven J. Friesen, Jan Willem van Henten, Edith M. Humphrey, Jean-Pierre Ruiz, and Elisabeth Sch ssler Fiorenza.

David L. Barr is Professor of Religion at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He is the author or editor of numerous books including Reading the Book of Revelation: A Resource for Students (SBL) and Tales of the End: A Narrative Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Polebridge).