Extremism by Berger J. M.;

Author:Berger, J. M.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Extremist; extremists; extremism; violent extremism; history of extremism; causes of extremism; what causes extremism; why extremism happens; why do people become extremists; extremist beliefs; ideology; extremist ideology; what do extremists believe; al Qaeda; ISIS; white supremacists; white supremacy; white nationalism; nationalism; nationalist; religious extremism; religious extremist; types of extremism; kinds of extremism; root causes of extremism; countering violent extremism; preventing violent extremism; radicalization; what is radicalization; why do people become radicalized; causes of radicalization; radicalization process
Publisher: MIT Press
Published: 2018-09-26T16:00:00+00:00

Apocalypse

The most advanced form of crisis narrative is apocalyptic—foretelling disaster not just for the in-group but for the world as we know it. Apocalyptic crisis narratives describe the end of history, often but not always in religious terms.

There are two types of apocalyptic narrative. The first simply describes the end of human society. Members of the in-group are urged to take action to prevent this catastrophe by opposing the apocalyptic actions of the out-group. For instance, the 2011 eco-extremist manifesto Deep Green Resistance: Strategy to Save the Planet argues that an out-group defined as “industrial civilization” or “industrial society” is wreaking environmental havoc that will lead to the destruction of “every living being” unless adherents fight back against the industrial system using sabotage and even violence.19

The second type of apocalyptic narrative is more insidious and seductive. A millenarian belief holds that the current world will be replaced by a perfect utopian world very soon. Millenarian apocalyptic movements believe that the end of the current age of history is fast approaching, a narrative typically predicated on prophecy. This climax brings a cosmic wave of destruction, usually related to an apocalyptic war between a chosen in-group and a demonic out-group, after which a perfect and utopian society will emerge.

Millenarian thought originated with Christian expectations that after Armageddon (a climactic battle between the forces of good and evil), Jesus will return to institute a thousand-year divine reign. Only after this period of human perfection will the world end and the final judgment ensue. In a millenarian context, an apocalyptic war is not simply an act of wanton destruction. It clears away the detritus of a dystopian temporal world in preparation for a perfect, utopian world to come.

Apocalyptic movements, sometimes short-lived but often consequential, have existed for millennia. Like conspiracy theories, they may be a response to uncertainty. British historian Norman Cohn, in his landmark study of medieval millenarians, wrote that such movements emerged during periods of “rapid economic and social change.” The existence of static social roles created “a certain sense of security, a basic assurance which neither constant poverty nor occasional peril could destroy.” When “traditional social bonds were being weakened or shattered,” millenarian and apocalyptic movements were more likely to emerge.20

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