Apocalypse!
120 minues, color
PBS Home Video
ISBN 0-7806-2997-3

Apocalypse! is a fast moving two hour documentary on book of Revelations and the tremendous impact the book has had on the two millenia since its composition. It is not just for shock value that the film reminds us: "from Waco to Littleton we are bombarded with visions of the new apocalypse."

The video weaves its many film clips in and around the faces and voices of noted scholars: L. Michael White, Paula Fredricksen, James Tabor, John J. Collins, Bernard McGinn, Stephen O'Leary.... The creation of the atom bomb (the ultimate weapon of destruction) and the founding of the State of Israel in latter part of the twentieth century are but two of the "signs" that we on the dawn of the apocalyptic era.

Signs have, of course, shown up in the past. In the late second century Montanus believed the plague was a clear indication that the new Jerusalem was at hand. Hildegard of Bingen's visions were powerfully apocalyptic, and Joachim of Fiore calculated from scripture that the end of time would take place in the 13th century.

It was Martin Luther who identified the Antichrist as none other than the pope in Rome. The American pilgrims later identified the Antichrist was King George.

The list of examples is much longer than is needed to be convincing, and yet after three viewings of this film I find each run through it as fascinating as its predecessor. The apocalyptic vision, or at least clearly apocalyptic language, is seen in Marx and Hitler, in the Seventh Day Adventist message of William Miller, in the writings of the Puritans who founded the new world, and more recently in the Branch Davidians.

The latter segment was particularly poignant because of its recency (although Waco, Texas, is probably not considered "recent" by many of our students) and because of the communication difficulties pointed out: what the negotiators heard as meaningless "Bible-babble" could perhaps have been dealt with less tragically by someone familiar with the kind of thinking and rhetoric associated with the apocalyptic mindset.

Apocalypse! would work well in the world history classroom, in part because it is a convincing illustration of the statement on the RSiSS homepage, and all our mailings: " that education is not complete without academic study of the world's religions and the values, literatures, and cultures so inextricably linked to them." The video is similarly valid as nothing more than a "current events" item; apocalytic thinking is so present in American culture today... and its lengthy history is traced in this film. Ten to fifteen minutes in the latter part of the film deal with TV evangelism and the curious phenomenon of fundamental Christians teaming up with groups in Israel to rebuild the temple.

Apocalypse!'s only drawback as a video, perhaps, is its two-hour length. I see it being difficult to show only part of it without the entire film losing some of its impact. But if you have the time to show it, this is a nicely constructed work.


review ©2001 by David Streight and RSiSS

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