Projects

The Options

You may write an 8-10 research paper on an apocalyptic topic or an 8-10 page exegesis/research paper on an apocalyptic biblical text.

All projects that focus mainly on subjects, texts or movements after the biblical period must somehow link up with the ancient texts and movements that are the principle concern of this course.

Research/Exegesis Paper Instructions

The Proposal

Your research proposal should consist of 1-2 pages on the subject you are going to pursue, and one full page of preliminary bibliography. The ideal research paper involves setting forth and defending an original thesis, often arrived at after immersing oneself in literature pertaining to the chosen topic. I would encourage you to try this if you can. However, I know that most of you are taking the first steps into scholarship on apocalyptic subjects, so if you are more comfortable writing an informative rather than a creative essay, that will be acceptable. Use keywords in ATLA: Religion Index to search for bibliography. It is found on this library page:

http://library.missouristate.edu/reference/pathfinders/rel.htm

The guide to style I want you to use is found on the library website of Mercer University. It can be downloaded by clicking here. This guide is based on the Chicago Manual of Style, the style used in theses and dissertations and most biblical journals and monographs. If you opt for MLA reference style, you should still get information such as correct biblical book abbreviations from the Mercer guide.

Missouri State Writing Center

There are links to very good discussions of how to construct a strong research essay on my Internet Resources page.

Bibliography

Abanes, Richard. End-Time Visions: The Road to Armageddon?

Allison, Dale C. Jesus of Nazareth: Millenarian Prophet.

Barnes, Robin Bruce. Prophecy and Gnosis: Apocalypticism in the Wake of the Lutheran Reformation

Boyer, Paul. When Time Shall be no More: Prophecy Belief in Modern American Culture

Camp, Gregory S. Selling Fear: Conspiracy Theories and End-times Paranoia

Collins, John J. Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Cook, Stephen L. Prophecy & Apocalypticism: The Postexilic Social Setting.

Ehrman, Bart. Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium.

Emmerson, Richard Kenneth. The Apocalypse in the Middle Ages.

Emmerson, Richard Kenneth. The apocalyptic imagination in medieval literature.

Emmerson, Richard Kenneth. Antichrist in the Middle Ages: a study of medieval apocalypticism, art, and literature.

Festinger, Leon, Henry W. Riecken and Stanley Schachter. When Prophecy Fails.

Kyle, Richard. The Last Days are Here Again: A History of the End Times.

McGinn, Bernard. Antichrist: Two Thousand Years of the Human Fascination With Evil

McGinn, Bernard. ed. Visions of the End: Apocalyptic Traditions in the Middle Ages

O'Leary, Stephen D. Arguing the Apocalypse: A Theory of Millennial Rhetoric

Pipes, Daniel. Conspiracy: How the Paranoid Style Flourishes and Where It Comes from

Robbins, Thomas and Susan J. Palmer. Millennium, Messiahs, and Mayhem.

Tabor, James D. and Eugene V. Gallagher. Why Waco? Cults and the battle for religious freedom in America

Wise, Michael O. The First Messiah: Investigating the Savior Before Christ

Witherington, Ben. Jesus, Paul and the End of the World: A Comparative Study in New Testament Eschatology.

Wojcik, Daniel. The End of the World As We Know It: Faith, Fatalism, and Apocalypse in America