The audience, members of the Fully Persuaded Church in Temecula, Calif., needed no convincing. Perkins pulled a white handkerchief from the pocket of his black suit and dabbed his forehead a couple of times. He waved his Bible in the air. Envisioning the apocalypse is longstanding tradition, a constant that endures as the centuries pass, as technology advances, as wars, floods, and earthquakes come and go. Millions of Americans hold fast to the belief that the Bible contains the key to history's end.
Redemption is the topic on talk radio.
An inferno at the Branch Davidian complex in Waco, Texas. Indeed, some right-wing militia groups use biblical imagery to justify violence. The Christian Identity movement, for example, believes that Christians will face violent persecution before Jesus returns. Visions of the Second Coming have always been powerful in shaping faith. Yet as the millennial fervor intensifies, some scholars and religious leaders worry that apocalyptic visions can become as destructive as they are inspiring.