Revelation and the Politics of Apocalyptic Interpretation

John's apocalyptic revelation tends to be read either as an esoteric mystery or a breathless blueprint for the future. Missing, though, is how Revelation is the most visually stunning and politically salient text in the canon. Revelation and the Politics of Apocalyptic Interpretation explores the ways in which Revelation, when read as the last book in the Christian Bible, is in actuality a crafted and contentious word. Senior scholars, including N.T. Wright, Richard Hays, Marianne Meye Thompson, and Stefan Alkier, reveal the intricate intertextual interplay between this apocalyptically charged book, its resonances with the Old Testament, and its political implications. In so doing, the authors show how the church today can read Revelation as both promise and critique.

• Contents
• 1. What Has the Spirit Been Saying? Theological and Hermeneutical Reflections on the Reception/Impact History of the Book of Revelation - Michael J. Gorman
• 2. Models for Intertextual Interpretation of Revelation - Steve Moyise
• 3. The Reception of Daniel 7 in the Revelation of John - Thomas Hieke 
• 4. Faithful Witness, Alpha and Omega: The Identity of Jesus in the Apocalypse of John - Richard B. Hays
• 5. God, Israel, and Ecclesia in the Apocalypse - Joseph L. Mangina 
• 6. Revelation and Christian Hope: Political Implications of the Revelation to John - N. T. Wright 
• 7. Witness or Warrior? How the Book of Revelation Can Help Christians Live Their Political Lives - Stefan Alkier
• 8. The Apocalypse in the Framework of the Canon - Tobias Nicklas 
• 9. Reading What Is Written in the Book of Life: Theological Interpretation of the Book of Revelation Today- Marianne Meye Thompson