End Times Popularity: Part 1 (#77) - a podcast by Dan Koch

Earlier this year, I released a 4-part series called End Times Anxiety, chronicling mental health and related challenges of younger folks who had been adversely affected by Left Behind and similar visions of the Rapture and end of the world within conservative Protestant theology and culture. Throughout working on that project, I found myself continually asking myself and others, “Why did they buy it in the first place? How did this thinking become *so popular*?” These two episodes are my attempt at answering that question, pulling from my own review of the available academic research as well as four interviews I conducted with Baby Boomers who had been a part of the Jesus Movement in the 1970s.

My main argument is as follows:
1. The people whose evangelizing kicked off the Jesus Movement were primarily fundamentalists and they were themselves already very focused on biblical prophecy
2. In the early 70s, there was enough global chaos and uncertainty, along with one very important “fulfilled prophecy” that made it seem plausible that the world might indeed be coming to a close
3. By the time Left Behind came around in the 90s, that same Jesus Movement generation held the primary places of power and influence in Evangelical circles

This is not an exhaustive explanation, but it has helped me come up with a basic framework that helps me make sense of my 90s Left Behind-soaked experience. Hopefully it might be helpful for you as well!

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Edited by Josh Gilbert (joshgilbertmedia@gmail.com -- he is accepting more work!)
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