apocalypticism

Apocalypticism refers to a belief system or literary mode that portrays history as a staged drama culminating in a cataclysmic event—an apocalypse—followed by divine judgment and renewal. Characteristic features include revealed knowledge granted to a prophet or seer, dualistic cosmology with a stark division between forces of good and evil, symbolic, often visionary imagery, and the promise that suffering will be overcome through a future transformation of the world.

Historically, apocalyptic motifs appear across multiple traditions. In Judaism and early Christianity, apocalyptic literature such as Daniel and Revelation interprets present events as precursors to divine intervention. In Islam, Day of Judgment and end-time narratives also serve apocalyptic functions. Other traditions, including Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, contain cycles of cosmic rise and decline and prophecies of renewal. In many cases, apocalypticism coexists with millenarianism—the expectation of a coming thousand-year or golden age—and with messianic belief.

In modern scholarship, apocalypticism is studied as a historical and literary phenomenon, not a fixed doctrine. It influences religious reform movements, political ideologies, and popular culture, where terms like “apocalyptic” or “end of the world” are used in fiction and media. Some forms emphasize imminent, transformative events; others emphasize moral accountability and the ultimate restoration of justice. While often associated with fear of catastrophe, apocalypticism also embodies hope for renewal through divine intervention.