The end is nigh-or so says a subculture of American evangelical Christians. In a Time/CNN poll, 20% of those surveyed said they believe the Apocalypse will take place in their lifetime. The apocalyptic Left Behind series has sold over 60 million books. And websites predict the probability of Armageddon on a daily basis.
But just who are the evangelicals? What do they believe? And most importantly, who is listening to them? In his funny and informative book Have a Nice Doomsday, author Nick Guyatt attempts to find out. Guyatt, a British professor living in Canada, travels across the United States to visit NORAD, U.S. Space Command, the Air Force Academy, the halls of Congress, and even a church shaped like the White House. Strange, funny and unsettling in equal measure, Have a Nice Doomsday uncovers the apocalyptic obsession at the heart of the world's only superpower. Nicholas Guyatt was educated at Cambridge and Princeton, and he teaches history at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. He is a contributor to the London Review of Books and The Nation magazine, and he is the author of three previous books. Born and raised in England, he now lives in Vancouver. "Guyatt, with a twinkle in his pen, an open mind, and a determination to give Rapture believers a fair hearing, has produced a provocative book."-Daily Mail (London)Autorentext
Nicholas Guyatt was educated at Cambridge and Princeton, and he teaches history at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. He is a contributor to the London Review of Books and The Nation magazine, and he is the author of three previous books. Born and raised in England, he now lives in Vancouver.
Klappentext
In Have a Nice Doomsday, Nicholas Guyatt searches for the truth behind a startling statistic: 50 million Americans have come to believe that the apocalypse will take place in their lifetime. They're convinced that, any day now, Jesus will snatch up his followers and spirit them to heaven. The rest of us will be left behind to endure massive earthquakes, devastating wars, and the terrifying rise of the Antichrist. But true believers aren't sitting around waiting for the Rapture. They're getting involved in debates over abortion, gay rights, and even foreign policy. Are they devout or deranged? Does their influence stretch beyond America's religious heartland?perhaps even to the White House?
Journeying from Texas megachurches to the southern California deserts?and stopping off for a chat with prophecy superstar Tim LaHaye?Guyatt looks for answers to some burning questions: When will Russia attack Israel and ignite the Tribulation? Does the president of Iran appear in Bible prophecy? And is the Antichrist a homosexual?
Bizarre, funny, and unsettling in equal measure, Have a Nice Doomsday uncovers the apocalyptic obsessions at the heart of the world's only superpower.