Revelation: The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ

This ground–breaking commentary reveals the far–reaching influence of the Apocalypse on society and culture, and the impact it has had on the Christian Church through the ages.

Approaching the Apocalypse chapter by chapter, the authors consider its effects, not only on theologians from Origen and Augustine to late twentieth–century theologians of liberation, but also on writers, artists, musicians, political figures, visionaries and others, including Dante, Hildegard of Bingen, Milton, Newton, the English Civil War radicals, Dürer, Turner, Blake, Handel and Franz Schmidt. They show that, despite the enormous range of interpretations, those who use the Apocalypse tend either to see it as a kind of sophisticated code to interpret history, or as a parable about the appropriate response to God in political, ecclesiastical, or personal life.

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.

Judith Kovacs is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. She is the author of a forthcoming book on the church fathers interpretation of 1 Corinthians.

Christopher Rowland is Dean Ireland′s Professor of Exegesis of Holy Scripture at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Queen′s College, Oxford. His previous publications include The Open Heaven (1982), The Book of Revelation (1998), Christian Origins (revised edition, 2002) and Radical Christian Writings: A Reader (Blackwell, 2002).

"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