This ground-breaking commentary on The Revelation to John (the Apocalypse) reveals its far-reaching influence on society and culture, and its impact on the church through the ages.
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- Explores the far-reaching influence of the Apocalypse on society and culture.
- Shows the book''s impact on the Christian church through the ages.
- Looks at interpretations of the Apocalypse by theologians, ranging from Augustine to late twentieth century liberation theologians.
- Considers the book''s effects on writers, artists, musicians, political figures, visionaries, and others, including Dante, Hildegard of Bingen, Milton, Newton, the English Civil war radicals, Turner, Blake, Handel, and Franz Schmidt.
- Provides access to material not readily available elsewhere.
- Will appeal to students and scholars across a wide range of disciplines, as well as to general readers.
Trade Review
"This volume on the Book of Revelation is a stunning achievement. Since the authors are also the editors of the overall project, it is certainly a good sign for the series as a whole." First Things
"The present commentary on Revelation ... the first to be published in the series, is a full success. If you have little space on your shelves for biblical commentaries, I would advise you to throw the other commentaries out and keep this one." International Review of Biblical Studies
“In giving a sense of how these biblical texts have been read and interpreted by generations of readers these commentaries succeed admirably. They will educate, illuminate, surprise, and delight.” Australian Religious Studies Review
"The reader will come away with a good general sense of just how powerful this text has been in the Christian Church." Epworth Review
"The reader is provided with a good range of readings, and ways in which the text has been appropriated byt he church, and in music, art and literature." Colloquium
"Judith Kovacs and Christopher Rowland give us something new – an in-depth analysis that emphasizes the reception history of the Apocalypse, its significance for later theology, literature, and art. The result is an eye-opening book that will dramatically change how readers understand the last book of the Bible and its role in Western history. This is a rich and fascinating work." Bernard McGinn, Divinity School, University of Chicago
"This is a rich and multifaceted commentary on Revelation that includes highlights from the whole range of the history of interpretation and reception of the work. Special attention is given to the role the book has played in art, literature and music, both within the churches and without. It should be required reading in any course on Revelation." Adela Yarbro Collins, Yale University Divinity School
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations. Series Editor’s Preface.
Preface.
List of Abbreviations.
Introduction: The Apocalypse in History: The Place of the Book of Revelation in Christian Theology and Life.
1. The Apocalypse in the Context of Jewish and Early Christian Literature.
2. Differing Patterns in the Reception of the Apocalypse: A Summary.
3. Point of View: Distinctive Emphases of this Commentary.
4. The Reception of the Apocalypse: Survey of Important Interpretations and of Artistic Representations.
Revelation 1.
Revelation 2 and 3.
Revelation 4.
Revelation 5.
Revelation 6.
Revelation 7.
Revelation 8.
Revelation 9.
Revelation 10.
Revelation 11.
Revelation 12.
Revelation 13.
Revelation 14.
Revelation 15.
Revelation 16.
Revelation 17.
Revelation 18.
Revelation 19.
Revelation 20.
Revelation 21.
Revelation 22.
A Hermeneutical Postscript: Evaluating the Readings.
Biographies and Glossary.
Bibliography.
Old Testament References Listed in the Margin of Nestle-Aland 26th Edition of the Greek New Testament Text of Revelation.
Index of Biblical References.
General Index.
