As humanity now faces the very real possibility of ending its own existence, along with the rest of life on Earth, we have to wonder why the ancients-- who did not face global disaster-- wrote legends, myths and apocalypses about the end of the world. Eschatological literature-- stories about, and predictions of, the End-- can be found in Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, as well as in Greek, Norse, Mayan, Hopi and Lakota mythology.
What's going on here? Did the ancients believe the world would end in their time or in the future? If they were predicting the future, is the future now? Are the warnings relevant to our times? What has to happen before the End comes? Can it be prevented? Could ancient warnings help us save ourselves?
In
End of Days, Richard Hooper once again explores the parallels between ancient Religious traditions-- this time on a topic no one wants to think about, but cannot avoid dealing with. If global disaster actually does take place, what will a post-apocalyptic world be like? Will survivors battle for survival among the ruins of a burned out planet, or will they forge a new and better world?
