War in Heaven, Heaven on Earth

This volume in the Millennialism and Society series focuses on theoretical approaches to the apocalyptic, past and present. Not since Norman Cohn's The Pursuit of the Millennium has there been such a profound theoretical exploration of millennial themes, coupled for the first time with a strong comparative dimension. Essays theorize the apocalyptic as it has arisen in a variety of religious traditions from Islam to Native American religion, drawing upon and engaging in a reflexive critique of theories from social psychology, sociology, and post-modern philosophy to do so. Stephen D. O'Leary isAssociate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Southern California. His research focuses on religious communication, rhetorical theory, and criticism. O'Leary is the author of Arguing the Apocalypse, a study of the rhetoric of millennialism in American culture. Current projects include a study of religion on the Internet and a book on cults and persuasive persuasion.Read less