MF CASR Lunch with Sean Durbin

"Violence as Revelation”

In the Gospel According to Matthew, Jesus’ disciples ask what they should expect to see before his return. Jesus replies that they “will hear of wars and rumors of wars,” which will mark the end of the age. Christians of millennialist persuasions have drawn upon these words for centuries to contextualize and give meaning to outbursts of violence, including the French Revolution and the First World War, both of which were interpreted by many as the signs that Jesus foretold.  With the creation of the modern state of Israel in 1948 and the outbreak of war that led to Israel’s territorial expansion in 1967, premillennialist Christians interpreted these events as the fulfilment of biblical prophecy and definitive proof that Jesus would return within their lifetime.

Paying special attention to modern premillennialist Christian narratives around their expectations of Jesus’ return prior to and after the creation of the modern State of Israel, this talk considers the role that violence plays in reaffirming premillennialist Christians biblical truth claims and argues that for those persuaded by such truth claims, violence becomes a site in which religion is produced.

Please join us in person at the MF Library, or watch on Zoom: https://mf-no.zoom.us/j/64105595003?pwd=S0JpdTIyT1dBcjRwTjg2YzVxdmVRQT09

Zoom Meeting ID: 641 0559 5003

Passcode: MFCASR