This dissertation explores the question of hope in the nuclear age by examining a movement within the North American Christian tradition known as dispensationalism. It concentrates specifically on one author, Hal Lindsey, whose books on the "end-times" are the basis for much of the current Christian apocalyptic thinking on this continent. There are two fundamental questions: (1) What does Lindsey's dispensational interpretation of God and Divine providence do to his understanding of hope?; (2) Does Lindsey's interpretation of the hope contribute anything to an articulation of hope in the nuclear age? In response to the first question, it is determined that Lindsey's Theology is governed by a providentialism which controls both his doctrine of God and his understanding of hope. History is controlled by a providential plan to which everything, even God, is bound. This plan ends with the destruction of the planet. Thus, hope, in Lindsey's terms, can only emerge after the destruction of the present order. In answer to the second question, it is explained that while Lindsey's apocalypticism gives faith a strong motivation and the sense of a limit to human pride, it undermines human responsibility for the planet and diminishes the ethical dimension of the gospel's call to discipleship.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2004. / Supervisors: Jeffrey Meikle and Mark Smith. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available from UMI.

The diploma thesis aims to find out what was the media image of the end of the Mayan calendar as the supposed end of the world in 2012. A a number of theories, reflections and predictions were made about what would probably happen on December 21, 2012. The apocalyptic predictions of the end of the world appeared most often. Probably due to deeper ignorance of the theme and attractiveness of catastrophic scenarios, the end of the Mayan calendar has become a widespread phenomenon that resonated across society and has become a frequent subject of media stories. The analysis of media content investigated the extent to which the 2012 phenomenon of the selected media was really devoted, what kind of approach to the topic the media took and whether it encouraged fear or uncertainty in society. The thesis provides a sufficient theoretical basis and historical context that the subsequent analysis can then rely on.

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In this dissertation I think-with figures of #AnthropoceneChild in speculative texts that story the end of the world through some form of climate catastrophe. In these post-apocalyptic tales, the child-figures do different things. Firstly, child-figures reflect problematics of the contemporary world without interrupting dominant patterns of thought, materiality, and governance. In these stories, the child is the future and the future is the child. Secondly, some child-figures are tasked with protecting a world in which they have been made disposable. This incites critical questions about distributions of racialized harm and also exposes the limits of survivalist logics. Thirdly, a few child-figures refuse current arrangements of existence and set in motion new worlds, even if the contours, forces, and politics cannot yet be fully described. These are speculative worlds of not this, what if, and not yet. Different aspects of this assemblage are centred at different moments in this dissertation. The looseness of the framework allows me to move between the unsettled complexities of bionormative childhoods, anthropogenic climate change, reproductive futurism, and structures of anti-blackness, settler colonialism, and white supremacy in relation to (1) child-figures at the end of a world, (2) child-figures who save their world, and (3) child-figures who destroy the world. This dissertation is organized into two main sections: Part I provides the theoretical background for the speculative arguments developed over Part II. In Part I, I unpack my proposal that #AnthropoceneChild bookends the Anthropocene. By this I mean that the language of birth, origin, and innocence finds repetitious form in scholarly discussions of Anthropocene beginnings, and that child-figures are pivotal to playing out the end of the world in pop culture performances of Anthropocene pedagogy. Part II consists of three chapters that engage with speculative child-figures that inherit and inhabit a damaged planet. This includes grappling with racialized technologies of care and abandonment, folding parent-child relations into environmental discourses of stewardship, and gesturing towards imaginaries of what might be possible after the end of the (white) world. The conclusion pulls the ideas and figures of previous chapters together in a queer-kin consideration of geos-futurities for #AnthropoceneChild wherein the end of the world might not be a cause for mourning but a possibility for an otherwise. / Graduate

No description available.

[pt] A contemporaneidade é um período marcado pela presença ubíqua da tecnologia, tornando rápidas, voláteis e precárias as nossas condições existenciais. Bernard Stiegler (1952-2020), ciente disso, demonstra em várias de suas obras a preocupação com as novas gerações diante de um contexto histórico no qual o mundo parece caminhar apressadamente rumo ao abismo. Em sua obra sobre a disrupção, o autor se utiliza de uma personagem, o jovem Florian de 15 anos, com o objetivo de, através de seu discurso, ilustrar a realidade que busca compreender. O norte da dissertação é exatamente a fala desse adolescente, que entende que o seu pensamento, marcado por protensão negativa, pode ser estendido a seus pares de geração. Por meio da análise da fala do jovem, buscamos pensar sobre a projeção de futuro que a juventude faz hoje e sobre como ela se difere de outros momentos de nossa História em que a tecnologia não estava tão intimamente presente na vida diária. Também, pretendemos dar conta do que conceitualmente é a juventude, por que o recorte geracional é relevante para a discussão e como todas essas definições são condicionadas sócio-historicamente. Buscamos igualmente compreender a origem e a incidência do fenômeno da negação na psique jovem diante dos problemas que parecem se acumular na existência contemporânea, tais quais as mudanças climáticas, a redução significativa de oportunidades dignas de trabalho e o agravamento da desigualdade social. / [en] The contemporary period is marked by the ubiquitous presence of technology, causing our existential conditions to be volatile and precarious. Bernard Stiegler (1952-2020), aware of this, demonstrates in several of his works his concern for the new generations in a historical context in which the world seems to be rushing towards the abyss. In his work on disruption, the author presents a character, the 15-year-old Florian, with the aim of, through his speech, illustrating the reality he seeks to understand. The dissertation revolves around the speech ofthis teenager, who believes that his words, filled with negative protension, could be shared with his peers of the same generation. Through the analysis of the young man s speech, we seek to understand more about the projection of the future that the youth makes today and how it differs from other moments in our History in which technology was not so intimately present in our daily life. Also, we intend to understand the concept of youth, why generations are relevant to the discussion and how all these definitions are socio-historically conditioned. We also seek to discuss the origin and incidence of the phenomenon of denial in the young psyche before problems that seem to accumulate in contemporary existence, such as climate change, the significant reduction of decent job opportunities and the worsening of social inequality.

Les recherches historiques montrent que les croyances en la fin du monde (CFM) sont très anciennes et qu’elles s’adaptent aux cultures et aux époques en fonction de certains risques perçus par les groupes sociaux (Boia, 1999). Sur cette base cette thèse fait l'hypothèse générale d'un système de croyances déjà structuré intégrant ces CFM, système dont l'équilibre pourrait évoluer sous l'influence de certaines peurs humaines. La première partie de ce travail postule donc l'existence d'un système de pensée intégrant les CFM. A partir de questionnaires (881 participants), nous avons pu mettre en évidence trois modalités de CFM : la fin du monde écologique (responsabilité humaine), la fin du monde scientifique (éloignement temporel et totalité), et la fin du monde religieuse (cause religieuse et meilleur monde possible). Chacune de ces modalités est liée de manière spécifique à diverses façons de justifier le monde : les Croyances en un Monde Juste (notamment la Justice Finale et la Justice Immanente ; Maes, 1998), la Justification du Système (Kay & Jost, 2003), la Religion et la Spiritualité. C'est ce système que nous nous efforçons de "déséquilibrer" dans la deuxième partie en intégrant les apports de la Psychologie Existentielle Expérimentale (Greenberg, Koole & Pyszczynski, 2004). Selon la littérature, l’individu mis dans une situation de « menace existentielle » (i.e. Mort et Incertitude) a besoin de se raccrocher à des croyances rassurantes. Nous émettons donc l'hypothèse selon laquelle ces menaces bouleversent la structure de croyances de l’individu. Nos résultats (245 participants) confirment en partie cette idée, et indiquent aussi l’importance de mesurer les affects. Pour résumer, cette thèse montre l'existence et le fonctionnement d'un système de croyances capable de se déséquilibrer sous l'influence de menaces existentielles et de l’état émotionnel. / Historical research show that beliefs in the end of the world (BEW) are very ancient and that they are culturally guided through the risks that are perceived by social groups (Boia, 1999). Thus, this thesis makes the hypothesis that there is a beliefs structure which integrates BEW, and that this structure could evolve with human fears. The first part of the present study suggests that there is a beliefs system that integrates BEW. 881 participants answered to a questionnaire, and results have shown three main BEW: ecological end of the world (human responsibility), scientific end of the world (totality and temporal distance), and religious end of the world (religious causality and possibility of a better world). Each of these beliefs is linked with specific ways of justifying the present world: Beliefs in a Just World (particularly Ultimate Justice and Immanent Justice, Maes, 1998), System Justification (Kay & Jost, 2003), Religion and Spirituality. In the second part of this study, we used the Experimental Existential Psychology to make this beliefs system unbalanced (Greenberg, Koole & Pyszczynski, 2004). According to this theory, individual faced to an “existential threat” (i.e. Death and Uncertainty) needs to cling on to reassuring beliefs. Thus, we made the hypothesis that these existential threats would have an effect on the beliefs system analyzed previously. Results have partially confirmed this hypothesis (on 245 participants) and brought new information about the importance of measuring emotional state. To summarize, this thesis shows the existence of a beliefs system, how it works, and how existential threats and emotional state can unbalance this beliefs system.

[pt] Trata-se de um estudo sobre narrativas de desenvolvimento sustentável e fim de mundo baseado na Rio+20, evento ocorrido em junho de 2012 na cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Fazendo a leitura da Rio+20 como um conjunto de rituais, o estudo tem como fonte principal os eventos do Fórum ICSU, sediado na PUC-Rio, da Cúpula dos Povos, no Aterro do Flamengo, do Humanidade 2012, no Forte de Copacabana, e da UNCSD, no Riocentro. Para situar a interpretação de narrativas, o trabalho oferece um resumo histórico e teórico sobre os temas em discussão, evidenciando negociações e disputas nos últimos 40 anos. Além disso, elabora-se um mapeamento etnográfico descritivo dos lugares percorridos, propiciando a visualização desses espaços como situações sociais específicas. A tese busca identificar, com base na análise comparativa de narrativas selecionadas, elementos que caracterizem diferentes perspectivas em torno do desenvolvimento sustentável. Aponta para as disputas internas e externas à ciência e aos movimentos sociais, tendo como linha de interpretação o englobamento. Chama a atenção para o paradoxo contemporâneo entre desafios planetários e governabilidade nacional. Destaca algumas dicotomias presenciadas no campo entre ciência e saberes tradicionais, crescimento econômico e bem-estar/bem viver e felicidade, Conferência e Cúpula, conflito e cooperação, holismo e individualismo e teoria e prática. Em meio à diversidade do campo, identifica como ideias praticamente onipresentes as noções de totalidade, interdependência, cooperação, coerência, desindustrialização, localização e movimento. Inspirado na visão humanista da revolução do amor , o estudo indaga se mudanças significativas que garantam futuros para a humanidade e o planeta devam passar necessariamente pelos laços de afeto. / [en] This consists of a research about narratives of sustainable development and end of the world based on Rio+20, an event held in June 2012 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Considering Rio+20 as a group of rituals, its main sources are: ICSU Forum, hosted by PUC-Rio, the People s Summit in Aterro do Flamengo Humanidade 2012 in Forte de Copacabana, and the UNCSD in Riocentro. To better situate the analysis of narratives, the work offers a historical and theoretical summary about discussed themes testifying negotiations and conflicts over them for the last forty years. The study offers a descriptive ethnographic mapping of visited places, enabling the visualization of such spaces as socially specific situations. Using comparative interpretation of selected narratives this thesis seeks to identify what characterizes different perspectives on sustainable development, pointing at internal and external disputes in science and social movements which are better interpreted by the idea of englobing. It calls attention to the contemporary paradox between planetary challenges and national governability. The study describes some dichotomies on the field between science and traditional knowledge, economic growth and wellbeing/buen vivir and happiness, Conference and Summit, conflict and cooperation, holism and individualism, theory and practice. Amongst the diversity of the field it identifies the concepts of totality, interdependence, cooperation, coherence, deindustrialization, localization and movement as common denominator when dealing with sustainable development. Inspired in the humanist vision of revolution of love , the study inquires if significant changes to guarantee future for humanity and the planet should necessarily be built upon bonds of affection.

Les auteurs de théâtre (ou les duos auteur/metteur en scène), sur lesquels porte notre étude, s’intéressent au réel dans sa pluralité, sans avoir d’image du monde : ils semblent avoir intégré « la fin du monde ». Leur écriture s’inscrit de plain-pied dans le monde « démondé » qui est le nôtre. Elle cherche à se situer au plus près de la profusion et de la dispersion, qui le caractérisent. Mais l’ambition de ces artistes n’est pas simplement de manifester la fin du monde. Ils sont dans l’après, dans l’urgence de sentir (ou de donner à sentir) à quoi elle peut ouvrir : à quelle vie vivable ? à quelle possibilité d’habiter le réel ? S’ils ont fait le deuil du monde comme tout-structure et d’une place revenant à l’homme au sein d’une telle ordonnance, ils n’ont pas fait le deuil, en revanche, de la possibilité de (re)faire monde. Leur geste semble sous-tendu par la nécessité d’ouvrir à un tel recommencement.Au sein du corpus étudié, la thèse repère trois veines théâtrales, ouvrant à trois types de praxis du monde : premièrement, un théâtre de l’approbation du réel (celui de Philippe Dorin et Michel Froehly) ; deuxièmement, des théâtres de la réeffectuation du réel (ceux de Pascal Rambert et d’Olivier Cadiot et Ludovic Lagarde) ; enfin, troisièmement, des théâtres ouvrant, ne serait-ce qu’un temps, à la possibilité d’une « conversion » de monde (ceux de Joël Pommerat, Jan Lauwers et Nature Theater of Oklahoma). Elle s’intéresse aux formes que ces théâtres inventent pour représenter ou mettre en oeuvre ces recommencements, et ce faisant, redonner « croyance au monde ». Car l’enjeu, majoritairement, semble bien être d’inventer un théâtre de la « croyance au monde ». / Authors/directors (or author / director duets) analyzed in our study are interested in the real in its plurality, without having an image of the world: they seem to have integrated "the end of the world". Their writing is fully inscribed in our “deworlded”world. It seeks to be located as close as possible to the profusion and thedispersion which characterize it. But the ambition of these artists is not just to showthe end of the world. They deal with what comes after, in a hurry to feel (or to givethe feeling of) what this end can open to: to which life worth living? to whichpossibility to inhabit the real? If they have mourned the world as a whole-structureand a place for men in such an order, they have not mourned, however, thepossibility of (re)doing (the) world. Their gestures seem underpinned by the need toopen to such new beginnings.Within the corpus we have studied, this dissertation identifies three theatrical veins,opening to three types of praxes of the world: first, a theater of the approval of thereal (that of Philippe Dorin and Michel Froehly); second, theaters of the remakingof the real (those of Pascal Rambert, and of Olivier Cadiot and Ludovic Lagarde);third, theaters opening, if only one moment, to the possibility of a “conversion” ofthe world (those of Joël Pommerat, Jan Lauwers, and Nature Theater of Oklahoma).It analyzes the forms which these theaters invent to represent or implement thesenew beginnings, and in doing so restore a “belief in the world”. What is at stake, inmost cases, seems to be the invention of a theater of the “belief in the world”.