The Role of Apocalyptic Prophecies in the Violence of Fundamentalist Christianity

Violence and extremism in the guise of religion has a long history, as old as history of religions. However, its expansion in the last century has become a serious challenge to peace and the peaceful coexistence of religions. Insisting on a Literal interpretation approach to biblical prophecy is not a universal method. Most Christians, both Catholic and Orthodox, and many branches of Protestantism have a different approach to dealing with it. They often interpret these texts in a "spiritual", "allegorical", "historical" and "retrospective" way. There are many movements in Christianity, such as fundamentalism, that claim religious purity. They interpret the Bible in a textual way (especially its apocalyptic prophecies). The result of this attitude has in many cases been the emergence of violent and extremist religious tendencies. Acceptance of this method also has its own theological consequences, including the need to fulfill the preconditions of these predictions. This analytical-critical article tries to show the connection between the fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible and the formation of religious violence among fundamentalists, especially "Christian Zionism".