Midnight, and I just finished Norman Cohn's Pursuit of the Millennium. What strikes me immediately is the connection between so many of the millennial, heretical groups of the 12th-15th centuries in Germany, France, and Bohemia, and many of the modern sectarian groups of today. Cohn shows how these early groups influenced both Nazi and Communist ideology and I see parallels with groups such as The Garbage Eaters, Fundamentalist Mormons, the Way International, the Boston Church of Christ, and many others. While these connections interest me, the book on a whole forces me to ask other questions.
First, why is it that in times of economic hardship, ecological disaster, catastrophes, war, death, or social unrest, people turn to religion? Is it because they are truly seeking God, or is it because religious leaders know that in these times people are searching for answers and they use the opportunity afforded by these events to prey upon the needy? I know this sounds cynical in the extreme, but it is a cycle that is repeated throughout history.
Second, is the basis of Christianity really millennial, or is it social and ultimately temporal? When life returns to normal, when the economy recovers, when natural disasters fade into the distance, church attendance declines, religious fervor deteriorates, the status quo returns and churches loose their millennial passion and focus. Is the millennial focus of the Church really dictated by the social and economic trends of society?
Finally, and this is not so much a question as a reflection, I understand the French Revolution, and the resultant Enlightenment much better than I did before reading this book. The anti-religious undercurrents of the French Revolution make more sense after one realizes how much devestation religion and religious wars brought to France. I wonder if the world will undergo a similar anti-religious backlash in the near future thanks to the devestation that religious wars are causing across our globe today?
I have deeper and darker thoughts about this but I will not share them, undeveloped as they are, now. In the mean time I need to read more, to think more, the analyze more, to dialogue about this with others, and search for answers to these questions.
These are not just academic questions for me. I feel that in some respect, they will alter my worldview. Sometimes the questions are more important than the answers. Tonight I am asking questions. Thanks for listening.
Tim
