Encyclopedia of Apocalyptic Literature

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Apocalyptic Literature written by Valerie P. Zimbaro and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text, which is by no means inclusive of all of the worldʼs apocalyptic writings, is intended both as an introduction to this timely literary genre as well as a tribute to the worldʼs major authors whose prose and poetry reflect their respective hopes, dreams and fears for the worldʼs last days. Although the book is intended to address apocalyptic literature across cultures, there is a significant dearth of material related to works by writers from Eastern cultures. This omission is an obvious one, inasmuch as the concept of an apocalypse, or a singular cataclysmic ending, is essentially antithetical to most cyclical Eastern philosophies. In an attempt to analyze such apocalyptic themes of either non-Western, primitive or pre-literate cultures, a list of entries pertaining to significant apocalyptic myths, legends and scriptures has been provided in appendix D.