Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Psychological Aspects of Biblical Apocalypticism

  • Published:
Pastoral Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This essay develops and illustrates the role of psychological process in the development of the Master Stories of Judaism and Christianity. This formative process is shaped by the memory and interpretation of key historical events that answer the main question which drives the development of the faith, theology, and religion of these traditions. That question was, “How is God in history, and what does our history and experience, therefore, mean?” The trajectory of development of Rabbinic Judaism seems to have been derived from the rational legalism of the Pharisees, while Christianity arose from the other Judaism, namely, the apocalyptic stream and the Jesus Movement which flowed from it. The consequence of these two different sources is the rise of twin religions with radically different original psychological tones, styles, objectives, and rationales.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bellinger, William H., Jr., and William R. Farmer, eds., (1998) Jesus and the suffering servant: Isaiah 53 and Christian origins, Harrisburg: Trinity.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boccaccini, G. (1998) Beyond the Essene Hypothesis, the parting of the ways between Qumran and Enochic Judaism, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bultmann, R. (1955) Theology of the New Testament, K. Groebel, tr., NY: Scribners, Volume I, 1951, Volume II.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkett, Delbert (1999) The Son of Man debate, a history and evaluation, Cambridge: Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, J.J. (1997) Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls, NY: Doubleday.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eschel, E. (1999) The identification of the “Speaker” of the Self Glorification Hymn, The Provo international conference on the Dead Sea Scrolls, D.W. Parry and E. Ulrich, eds., Leiden: University of Leiden.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eschel, E. (1999) 471b:4Q Self-Glorification Hymn, DJD 29, Oxford.

  • Eschel, E. (1996) 4Q471b, A Self Glorification Hymn, RQ 17.

  • Flint, Peter W., and James C. VanderKam, eds., (1999) The Dead Sea Scrolls after fifty years, Volume I and II, Leiden: Brill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Martinez, F. (1996) The Dead Sea Scrolls translated, the Qumran texts in English, Second Edition, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knohl, I. (2000) The Messiah before Jesus, the suffering servant of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Berkeley: University of California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nickelsburg, G.W.E., Son of Man, Anchor Bible Dictionary, D.N. Freedman, ed. (1992) Volume VI, NY: Doubleday.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schuller, E. (1999) 431:4Q Hodayot, DJD 29, Oxford.

  • Toedt, H.E. (1965) The Son of Man in the synoptic tradition, Philadelphia: Westminster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wink, Walter (2002) The human being: Jesus and the enigma of the Son of the Man, Minneapolis: Fortress Augsburg.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. J. Harold Ellens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ellens, J.H. Psychological Aspects of Biblical Apocalypticism. Pastoral Psychology 51, 157–163 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020010831325

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020010831325

Search

Navigation