Apocalyptic Religious Movements in American History

Abstract

May/June 2008 · Historically Speaking 29 Apocalyptic Religious Movements in American History Stephen J. Stein Shakers number, America has been and remains a highly receptive environment for religious movements defined in some primary way by their apocalyptic messages. But the substance of those proclamations defies easy generalnation . The apocalyptic category derives from the Greek word att????????, meaning an "uncovering" or "revelation ." Apocalyptic religious movements seek to reveal or disclose that which is hidden. The primary focus of apocalyptic revelations tends to be the future or the supposed end of things. For that reason such movements usually are preoccupied with eschatological matters. Eschatology is literally concern with the "last tilings." Movements laying claim to apocalyptic insight often do so on the basis of special revelations or a unique understanding of sacred texts. Such movements in America are part of a long and rich tradition in religious history extending from ancient times to the present. America has been a fertile seedbed for such movements: some have been transplanted from abroad while others have grown out of circumstances on this continent. In the colonial era, many colonists who adopted an apocalyptic religious perspective were deeply influenced by European thinkers. Puritan ministers in New England, for example , knew the eschatological writings of English Reformation theologians who attempted to unlock prophetic mysteries in the Bible with special attention to the book of Revelation, i.e. 'The Apocalypse of St. John." They formulated ideas about the nature and timing of the millennium, the projected thousand-year personal reign of Christ on Earth that was to precede a final judgment; the identity of the Antichrist, the figure identified as the leader of the enemies of the true church; and the significance of "signs of the times," contemporary events construed as indications that the end of earthly days was fast approaching John Cotton (1584-1652), the first minister in the First Church of Boston, insisted that his congregation admit regenerate members only, a position related to his judgment that the millennium might begin in 1655. Three members of the distinguished Mather family—all Puritan ministers—employed apocalyptic reflections throughout their lifetimes. Richard Mather (1596-1669) viewed the English Civil War as potentially leading to the end of the Antichrist 's reign. Increase Mather (1639-1723) believed the return of Christ was imminent. Cotton Mather (1663-1728) was willing to set particular dates within his lifetime as the moment of Christ's return, predictions that ultimately failed to materialize and , 1830. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division [reproduction LC-USZ62-13659]. therefore disappointed. Jonathan Edwards (17031758 ), a leader of the emergent evangelical movement , spent a lifetime studying the book of Revelation. On one occasion he implied that the millennium might begin in America. In 1793 his student and friend Samuel Hopkins (1721-1803), another evangelical minister, thought that the millennium might begin in another 200 years or so. Virtually all Protestant clergy at the time were persuaded that the Antichrist was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Anti-Catholicism was widespread, and the polemics between Protestants and Catholics made apocalyptic something more than ideology. Protestants also linked the figure of the Antichrist to other contemporary opponents . During King George's War (1744-48), an imperial struggle among European nations, many American Protestants viewed the conflict as an opportunity to defeat the forces of the Antichrist equated with the Catholic nations of France and Spain. Edwards declared the English victory at Cape Breton in Canada "a dispensation of providence, the most remarkable of its kind." Apocalyptic fervor provided ideological support for the Revolutionary cause during the American War for Independence. Samuel Sherwood (1703-1783), a Congregational minister in Connecticut, equated the beast in Revelation 13 with the British monarchy. Apocalyptic reflections were preached from pulpits and published in tracts and books. Eschatological ideas permeated Protestant circles, giving adherents a distinctive sense of place in the flow of world history. After 1790, the new American nation provided a supportive context for existing religious communities as well as new religious movements. The First Amendment of die Constitution prohibited religious establishment on the national level and supported free exercise of religion. As a result, religious communities enjoyed new opportunities...