Burning dry grass on a hillside
MLAP 34001

Some Versions of the Apocalypse

This course was available in the past and may be presented again as part of the Master of Liberal Arts curriculum.

The end of the world is one of the most durable of mankind's obsessions.  From prophetic texts of the ancient world to today's fascination with zombie plagues, environmental disaster, and nuclear winter, the genre of apocalypse has proven an extraordinarily fertile way to give expression to religious, moral, political, and economic beliefs and anxieties. In this course we will explore what is both fearful and alluring about catastrophe on an unimaginable scale, as we read and view some paradigmatic apocalyptic works across a wide historical range. The course will focus on close attention to the aesthetics of individual works, locating those works in their historical contexts, and the theoretical analysis of the texts' motivating concerns.

  • Fulfills the Core - Humanities requirement
  • Fulfills the Elective - General requirement
  • Fulfills the Elective - Literary Studies requirement

About the Professor

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Mark Miller - Headshot

Mark Miller