This volume encompasses an array of material exploring the millennium phenomenon and the violent excitement it provokes. Consisting of three core parts, the book combines pertinent documents with insightful commentary and discussion.

Arthur P. Mendel argues that throughout history man has worried about the Apocalypse, a phenomenon that has changed from God to reason, to history, and then to nature. He calls for a more modest and humane philosophy with regard to the Earth.'

What is the role of religion in creating the rules of society? What should religion's role be? Religion in industrialized countries often appears as a private, personal matter while issues of social justice are worked out in a secular public sphere. But increasingly both policymakers and religious leaders are becoming aware of the role religious values play at the local, national and international levels. Religion and Social Policy explores how religious concerns influence those who shape and those who are shaped by policies. It queries the social teachings of global denominations and local congregations, as well as the implicit religious stances taken by national governments and international NGOs. Broad issues such as religious tolerance, globalization, multiculturalism, gender roles and economic inequality are carefully grounded with practical examples. For students of religion, sociology, politics or public policy, Religion and Social Policy offers an excellent overview of how the sacred and the secular mix in both the theory and practice of creating a just society. Visit the editor's web page

Seventh-Day Adventists, Melanesian cargo cults, David Koresh's Branch Davidians, and the Raelian UFO religion would seem to have little in common. What these groups share, however, is a millennial orientation-the audacious human hope for a collective salvation, which may be either heavenly or earthly. The Oxford Handbook of Millennialism offers readers an in-depth look at both the theoretical underpinnings of the study of millennialism and its many manifestations across history and cultures.

First Published in 2015. Daily newspaper headlines, talk radio and cable television broadcasts, and Internet news web sites continuously highlight the relationship between religion and violence. These media contain stories about such diverse incidents as suicide attacks by Islamic fundamentalists in Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Pakistan, and elsewhere, and assassinations of doctors who perform abortions by white American Christian true believers in the United States. How does one make sense of the role of religion in violence, and of perpetrators of violence who cite religion as a motivation? This encyclopedia includes a wide range of entries: biographies of key figures, historical events, religious groups, countries and regions where religion and violence have intersected, and practices, rituals, and processes of religious violence.

Through sections containing overview essays and reference entries related to particular religions, this resource explores the rise of religious violence, hate crime, and persecution around the world. Religious violence and persecution have been growing steadily both within the United States and around the world. Drawing on the expertise of a wide range of scholars, this current and comprehensive reference helps readers understand the persecution of members of particular faiths as well as violence committed by members of those faiths. In doing so, it promotes a greater understanding of the role of religion in global politics, domestic and international terrorism, and religious bigotry. The book contains sections on particular religious traditions from around the world. Each section begins with an overview essay surveying violence related to that particular religion, whether committed by or against members of that faith. Reference entries in each section then provide objective, fundamental information about particular topics related to violence and the religion discussed. The entries provide cross-references and suggestions for further reading, and the work closes with a bibliography of resources for further study.

In this book a cross-cultural and comparative volume, Catherine Wessinger reveal three patterns within millennial groups that are not mutually exclusive: assaulted millennial groups which are attacked by outsiders who fear and misunderstand the religion, fragile millennial groups that initiate violence to preserve the religious goal, and revolutionary millennial groups possessing an ideology that sanctions violece.