The Book of Revelation

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Few biblical books are as revered and reviled as Revelation. Many view it as the pinnacle of prophetic vision and a key to understanding the past, present, and future, while others criticize it as the work of a disturbed individual whose violent dreams should never have been included in the Bible. Timothy Beal offers a concise cultural history of Revelation and the apocalyptic imaginations it has inspired. He traces the book's origins during the Christian persecutions of first-century Rome to its lasting impact on contemporary popular culture, media, and visual art. Beal examines how figures like Augustine and Hildegard of Bingen integrated Revelation into their mystical worldviews, and how its vivid artistic interpretations kept it relevant despite criticism from later church leaders like Martin Luther. Attributed to a mysterious prophet named John, Revelation possesses a unique voice within the Bible. Beal illustrates how the book serves as a multimedia constellation of stories and images that adapt and transform in new contexts, continually inspiring fresh interpretations of history, fantasies of rapture, and fears of abandonment in each generation.