January 19, 1999
Miller will speak at noon Wednesday, Jan. 20, on "Waiting for the End of the World: Historical Perspectives on Millennialism" at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread. Miller plans to teach a course on millennialism in the fall 1999 semester.
"The idea that Christians look for decisive events in the year 2000 is overrated. Millennialism is ongoing in that we always have people focused on expecting the end of the world in the immediate future," Miller says.
Miller specializes in American religion and religious movements. His primary interest in the millennial matters stems from his interest in predictions of when the world will end.
"The more famous predictions include one by William Miller, leader of Seventh Day Adventists, that the world would end Oct. 22, 1884," Miller offers.
"Jehovah's Witnesses predicted the world would end in 1914. When it didn't, the prediction was revised to say that 1914 was the beginning of the end of the world," Miller says.
Few end-of-the-world theorists now predict specific dates due to credibility problems, Miller says.
Many end-of-the-world theories evolve from the Bible's book of Revelation, which some think describes the 1,000 years of the glorious reign of Christ, among other things. The book is a complicated, lengthy scenario that lends itself to many interpretations, millennial and otherwise, Miller says.
The book was written during the reign of a particularly cruel Roman emperor intent on eradicating Christians, Miller notes. Biblical scholars believe the book probably was written in code to urge the suffering Christians to keep the faith. Scholarly debate continues on how to interpret the code and symbolism used in Revelation.
Story by Mary Jane Dunlap, University Relations, (785) 864-8853 or e-mail mjdunlap@ukans.edu