Protestant Apocalypticism, the Book of Revelation, and History in English Thought, 1550-1800 (2006-2008)
Abstract
This project elucidates English Protestant expectations about the end of the world from 1550 to 1800 from the extremes of political radicalism to the ideals of the Royal Society. It is the first comprehensive account of the rise and fall of Protestant Apocalypticism. Its significance lies in its thesis that the power of Apocalypticism did not lie in its claims to foretell the future. Rather, by virtue of its analysis of society into two opposing forces of Good and Evil, it consisted in its role as an historical method and a political science. It will result in two closely related monographs and a series of articles.
