Armageddon Now: The End
of the World A to Z"
Don't be left behind. Who knew that doomsday would be so hot? Environmental
disasters, disease epidemics, the popularity of reality television, and strife
in the Middle East, may all be signs that time has come today. Weak and ailing
after the end of the Cold War and the financial spree of the nineties, the
timeless notion that the end is near is once again exerting a powerful influence
on pop culture, politics, religion, and Mel Gibson.
So you don't believe we?re on the eve of destruction? Authors Jim and Barbara
Willis mine the religious and secular divide as they examine the history of
apocalyptic beliefs in Armageddon Now. The authors explain the various omens and
prophecies as well as the actual events that may trigger the end, such as
collisions with asteroids, nuclear war, the oil crisis, global warming, and
famine. They report that even the death of Pope John Paul II has some
prognosticators predicting eminent doom, or at least doom coming relatively
soon, which in any case would make investing in treasury bonds a bigger risk.
But as the authors point out, there have always been plenty of signs pointing to
the boom in gloom: predicting the order of finish kept Nostradamus in print for
centuries, and the ancient Mayans helpfully projected that calendar sales would
drop to nothing after 2012. They are all part of the long history on the end of
history.
Fire or ice, bang or whimper, asteroid or alien, act of God or human folly,
Armageddon Now is all over doomsday prophecies. From alpha to omega, it is
packed with 200 entries and 100 illustrations. Satan, saints, survivalists, and
evangelical preachers known for their views on Biblical prophecies receive their
due. In the end, the end has never been so thoroughly covered as in Armageddon
Now: The End of the World A to Z. It's the last word for the end user. About Jim
Willis
While doing most of the research for this book, Jim and Barbara Willis lived for
a year and a half in a 30-foot fifth-wheel RV trailer, traveling throughout the
Southwest, a mostly pleasant way to envision the final big bang. Jim Willis has
served as an ordained minister with the United Church of Christ for more than
thirty years and wrote, produced, and hosted the “Through the Bible Series,” a
daily drive-time radio program. He is an author, musician, college professor,
and lecturer, teaching courses in comparative religion and cross-cultural
studies. His study of the world’s religions, The Religion Book: Places,
Prophets, Saints, and Seers, was published in 2004. He also has recorded and
produced two albums of gospel music.
About Barbara Willis Born on the island of Guam in the Marianas islands, Barbara
Willis has lived in exotic locales such as St. Croix, Martha’s Vineyard, Italy,
and South America, as well as California, Arizona, Virginia, Washington, D.C.,
and various parts of New England. In addition to being well-traveled, she has an
extensive history in community theater and has worked in occupations as varied
as real estate, newspaper advertising, the restaurant business, and library
research.
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