History as Apocalypse

Thomas J.J. Altizer is the author of The Descent into Hell, The Gospel of Christian Atheism, The Self-Embodiment of God, Total Presence and several other books. Dr. Altizer is Professor of English and was the first chairman of an interdisciplinary program in Religious Studies at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

"This is a magnificent work; it, alone, justifies a life. Altizer's oeuvre has always been historically grounded. This book shows ineluctably how rich that grounding is."—Ray L. Hart"Altizer's intellectual range is extraordinary. What is most impressive about the book is Altizer's ability to bring together literary, theological, philosophical, and historical materials."—Mark Taylor"Altizer reads the epic literature with a freshness that challenges commonly accepted understandings of Western culture. A complex and difficult literature gains lucidity in the theory of the emergence of new cultural forms. The major themes of Altizer's earlier books are here rooted in history and literature so that his theological vision can be understood in its fullest implications. Dante, Milton, Blake, and Joyce cannot be read in the same way after being read in the deep context of theological reflection by Altizer."—Charles E. Winquist"The author's words embody the very presence they invoke—a circumstance founded, no doubt, in the author's (unspoken) experience of total presence!"—D.G. Leahy

• Preface Prologue One. The Birth of Vision Two. Destiny, Deity, and Death Three. Israel and the Birth of Scripture Four. Paul and the Birth of Self-Consciousness Five. Augustine and the Foundation of Western Christendom Six. Dante and the Gothic Revolution Seven. Milton and the English Revolution Eight. Blake and the French Revolution Nine. Joyce and the End of History Index