Eschatology run amok in the late 1800s

[mike]

Posts about Anabaptists in the Congress have run amok and been moved to a new thread.

[barnhart]

You can sense a pretty wild religious landscape in the background of Mark Twain's novels.

[joshuabgood]

...what made the various theories of the end times so attractive to folks then.

People need a grand narrative to give direction, meaning and purpose to their everyday lives. There is a longing to escape the problems in the world by finding the solution and fitting in to your role in it. The imminent return of Jesus can fill that urge and so can worker controlled socialist utopia, a hippie commune, fighting fascists, socialists, liberals, communists, nationalists etc...

Frequently they are accompanied by unorthodox s*xual practices. Such was true for the Amana folks, the Oneida folks, the Mormons of course, the Shakers, etc...

Also true of course for the Munster folks.

[Ernie]

I'm seeing a resurgence among conservative and Old Order Anabaptists right now. A new book was just published.

The Rationale for the Israel-centric Future Millennium by Bruce Good.

[ken_sylvania]

I'm seeing a resurgence among conservative and Old Order Anabaptists right now. A new book was just published.

The Rationale for the Israel-centric Future Millennium by Bruce Good.

Bruce Good from Berks County?

[Jeff Altweg]

And let's not forget the "Sleeping Preacher" thing that swept the country in the early 1900's, there's still several thousands of them practicing that in Illinois today...as Anabaptists. Still firmly convinced they're on to something even now..

[barnhart]

I thought the age of social discontent and technological advancement we are currently in parallels the late 1800s era enough that we might see the emergence of a new cult or religion. My eye was on Qanon but that seems to have faded or maybe merged with white conservative evangelical churches. When Michael Flynn and the Reawaken America tour were welcomed into mainstream evangelical churches they seemed to enjoy a lot of popularity but eventually they drifted more into Trump rallies and less church. The temptation to over read end time events into a current emergency is common.