Maria Leppäkari

Hungry for Heaven: the Dynamics of Apocalyptic Violence Maria Leppäkari

Why do some endtime enthusiasts become violent whileothers do not? There are no simple clean-cut answersto the question. From the perspective of comparativereligion the author presents some guidelines forunderstanding the complexity of rhetorical''apocalyptic terror''. By focusing on the end she argues that hunger forurgent and dramatic societal change does notautomatically imply violent behaviour. Leppäkari uses case studies and theological analysisto tackle the problem of violence within the contextof Jewish and Christian endtime activists workingfrom within the city Jerusalem and argues thatintense transmissions of apocalyptic representationsare sources of inspiration which can motivate peopleto act, whether peacefully or violently for a cause. When making a transition from "interpreting God?swill" to "acting out God''s will", significant changeshave taken place. These changes in apocalyptictendencies need, however, not to result in outbreaksof violence.