by Bernard McGinn
Examines the the origins of the Antichrist concept from its Judeo-Christian roots, details man's obsession with evil, and offers an historical view of the concept's significance as the turn of the millennium approaches
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Rarely has a historian of Christianity pierced a murkily inchoate human impulse with so much enlightenment as McGinn, a leading apocalypticist and the editor of Paulist Press's Classics of Western Spirituality series, does here. McGinn interweaves evidence from history, theology, biblical interpretations, literary references from Dante to Dostoyevski and even pop bestsellers to rivetingly discuss the concept of Antichrist. From the closing of the first millennium A.D. and Christian end-time speculation about the coming of the Antichrist ("a final human opponent of all goodness"), he traces the evolution of the Antichrist belief from its Judeo-Christian origins to its high point in the Middle Ages and on through present-day televangelists What McGinn also reveals is how a myopically constricted worldview often has led to intolerence and persecution.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Religious historian McGinn (Univ. of Chicago Divinity Sch.) traces the fascinating history of the concept of the Antichrist from pre-Christian origins to the present. Chapters cover the changing role of the Antichrist in the early church, Middle Ages, Reformation, and post-Reformation eras, as well as in contemporary religion. The author sees the Antichrist as a powerful symbol for the concept of evil in Western thought, providing deep insights into our cultural development. He also warns that in every age, including our own, it has been used to label opponents as adherents of absolute evil. Intolerance and persecution can often accompany literal belief in the Antichrist. This is an excellent, scholarly, and well-documented examination of this persistent element in Christian apocalyptic thought. Recommended for academic libraries.
C. Robert Nixon, MLS, Lafayette, Ind.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Antichrist: Two Thousand Years of the Human Fascination With Evil
Bernard McGinn is a renowned American Roman Catholic theologian, religious historian, and scholar of spirituality, particularly known for his expertise in Medieval mysticism. Born on August 19, 1937, McGinn has made significant contributions to the study of Christian mysticism in the Western tradition.
He is best known for his comprehensive series on mysticism, The Presence of God, which spans multiple volumes and explores the history of Christian mysticism. McGinn’s work often emphasizes the accessibility and relevance of mystical experiences, suggesting that such experiences are more common and attainable than many might think.