Apocalypse and Trauma

As a remarkably mutable cultural form, apocalypticism raises a number of questions about what apocalypse is and why it has affected people throughout the ages. Taking root in the ancient Near East, apocalyptic literature was promulgated in the scripture of Jews and Christians. Apocalypticism extends the implications and expectations of the genre of apocalypse into social, psychological, and cultural areas. In particular, it is linked to remaking a world shattered by unexpected, unexplained pain and disillusionment, also known as trauma. This chapter examines the relationship between traumatic experience and apocalyptic thought, as well as the relationship between apocalypses and nostalgia. It discusses the connection between national disaster and trauma in the context of the death of one’s nation or community, and how trauma relates to apocalyptic violence.