
Who Rides the Beast?
Prophetic Rivalry and the Rhetoric of Crisis in the Churches of the Apocalypse
Paul B. Duff(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 21. June 2001
Book
Hardback
208 pages
978-0-19-513835-1 (ISBN)
Description
The Book of Revelation presents the reader with a frightening narrative world in which the people of God are tormented, threatened, and sometimes killed by various agents of Satan. Throughout the work, the Apocalyse points to Rome as the predominant demonic agent. Scholars have traditionally thought that Revelation was written in order to encourage believers to stand fast in the face of the Roman persecutation of the early Church. More recently, however, it has been argued that no such crisis existed at the time the book was written. In this study, Paul Duff offers a different viewpoint on the origin of the Book of Revelation is a rhetorically sophisticated response to an internal leadership crisis within the churches. In support of this argument Duff marshals evidence from the social and economic context of the time, and from literary and rhetorical analyses of the text. The result is a work that substantially advances the implication of the current consensus and sheds new light on this influential yet enigmatic text.
Reviews / Votes
This stimulating study engages with the perennial issue of the purpose of Revelation ... many insights ... a valuable contribution to scholarship on the Apocalypse. * Journal of Theological Studies * This book offers fascinating insights into the social realities of first-century urban life, and reveals the extent to which letters and heavenly visions are woven together into an apocalyptic whole. * Theology *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
7 figures, 8 tables
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
489 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-513835-1 (9780195138351)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Paul B. Duff
Who Rides the Beast?
Prophetic Rivalry and the Rhetoric of Crisis in the Churches of the Apocalypse
E-Book
05/2001
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€97.49
Available for download
Person
Author
Associate Professor of Religion and Chair, Department of ReligionAssociate Professor of Religion and Chair, Department of Religion, George Washington University