"Jerusalem, Jesus, and Jihad: The Politics of the End-Times," 2014 Piediscalzi Lecture delivered by Dr. David L. Barr

The 2014 Piediscalzi Lecture

Jerusalem, Jesus, and Jihad: The Politics of the End-Times
With Dr. David L. Barr

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share remarkably similar stories of the End-Times. All three point to the centrality of Jerusalem, the arrival of a Savior, and a final Holy War between the forces of good and evil – Jerusalem, Jesus, and Jihad. Significant movements within each tradition believe that God is about to act to bring his Kingdom on earth, raising the question of what the believer should do in the meantime.

Understanding the origins, evolution, and distinctive traits of such End-Times thinking—and its variations between and within these traditions—casts new light on phenomena as diverse as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Afghanistan war, and American presidential politics.

Dr. Barr is Emeritus Professor of Religion and the former chair of the Departments of Religion, Philosophy, and Classics. He was named the Brage Golding Distinguished Professor of Research in 2004. He recently completed a semester as scholar in residence at John Carroll University, where he did research and lectured on Jewish, Christian, and Muslim conceptions of the End-Times.

When: April 2, 2014, 4:00-5:30

Where: E 163 Student Union