Topic Exploration
1. Choose an apocalyptic tradition from the class schedule. You will be examining several different ancient visions of the afterlife, looking at Egyptian, Jewish, Greek, Roman, Norse, and Christian ideas about life after death.
2. Think about contemporary examples that feature similar imagery or storylines.
Apocalyptic Tradition Starting Points
- Review your class schedule and materials for ideas and texts related to traditions.
End of Days by ISBN: 9781440839405Publication Date: 2017-07-14Covering religious traditions ranging from Buddhism to Christianity to Zoroastrianism and modern apocalyptic movements such as Arun Shinrikyo and the Branch Davidians, this book addresses prophesied end of days from a breadth of perspectives and includes material on often-neglected themes and genres. * Provides readers with an overview of apocalyptic themes in the world's religious traditions as well as detailed explanations of particular apocalyptic phenomena * Places popular apocalyptic motifs within the historical context of apocalyptic literature * Enables a more complete appreciation and understanding of the presence of apocalyptic material in popular culture, literature, and fine arts * Presents information in a single volume that will serve researchers in public libraries, community college learning resource centers, and college and university libraries
Contemporary Examples Starting Points
E-book: Dystopian States of America: apocalyptic visions and warnings in literature and film by
Dystopian States of America is a crucial resource that studies the impact of dystopian works on American society-including ways in which they reflect our deep and persistent fears about environmental calamities, authoritarian governments, invasive technologies, and human weakness.Dystopian States of America provides students and researchers with an illuminating resource for understanding the impact and relevance of dystopian and apocalyptic works in contemporary American culture. Through its wide survey of dystopian works in numerous forms and genres, the book encourages readers to connect with these works of fiction and understand how the catastrophically grim or disquieting worlds they portray offer insights into our own current situation.In addition to providing more than 150 encyclopedia articles on a large and representative sample of dystopian/apocalyptic narratives in fiction, film, television, and video games (including popular works that often escape critical inquiry), Dystopian States of America features a suite of critical essays on five themes-war, pandemics, totalitarianism, environmental calamity, and technological overreach-that serve as the foundation for most dystopian worlds of the imagination. These offerings complement one another, enabling readers to explore dystopian conceptions of America and the world from multiple perspectives and vantage points.
ISBN: 9781440873393Publication Date: 2022
- Take a look at the table of contents for some ideas; click to read the chapters.
- Film and Television Literature Index with Full Text This link opens in a new window
This database is focused on researchers of film and television. It provides full text resources from both scholarly and popular sources. Holdings include full-text access to more than 80 journals.
