Month: January 2024

Eastern Promises of a Messiah

On By TRF

Although I write about many topics on this blog (Shakespeare, science fiction, rock music, Tolkien), as much as possible I focus on eschatology and messianism–mainly Muslim, since my doctoral studies and several subsequent books dealt with that topic.

But Islam’s Mahdi/Twelfth Imam is not the only apocalyptic game in town. Non-Western (and Islam is a Western religion, coming out of Judaism and Christianity, with a little help from Zoroastrianism) cultures have their own brands of beliefs in a supernatural deliverer. My friend Dr. Richard Landes covers some of these in his brilliant work Heaven on Earth. The Varieties of the Millennial Experience (Oxford, 2011). However, I just discovered that Chinese history is rife with examples of such, as well. Matthew Dentice breaks down many of them in a series of “Patheos” posts, such as this one: “Other Themes in Chinese Eschatology.” I had some knowledge of Buddhism’s messianic Maitreya(s). But I had no idea that Taoism and even Confucianism also held doctrines. As near as I can determine (not being an expert in East Asian cultures or religions), the Taoist and Buddhist “messiahs” were more of a religious nature, while the Confucian sect espousing such looked for a “sage-emperor” who would usher in a political golden age. These beliefs became especially prominent during, and after, the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD).

Thus, the Taiping Uprising (1850-1864), which killed at least 20 million Chinese, might not be solely attributable to Christianity, as it’s usually presented. It very possibly had deeper roots in Chinese society, which Hong Xiuquan bloodily tapped into. And the Communist rulers of modern China might not just fear the “foreign religions” of Christianity or Islam; they probably know full well their own civilization’s millennia-long history of having to deal with intrinsic apocalyptic insurrections.

There was one man who dealt with both Chinese and Islamic messianic movements. Major-General Charles Gordon, who died defending Khartoum from the forces of the Sudanese Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad, had earlier in his career helped the Qing rulers put down the apocalyptic Taiping cultists.

Yours truly honoring General Gordon, London, 2019.

Is Exorcism’s Importance in the Eye of the Beholder?

On By TRF1 Comment

To kick off 2024, I could write about the Kuwaiti woman who, a few months, publicly proclaimed herself the Mahdi. I could write about that. But instead, I’m going to cover something more personal. I’ve been fascinated, both positively and negatively, by demonic possession and exorcism since I saw The Exorcist in the 1970s. Yes, I know C.S. Lewis’ warning about demons: disbelieving in them, but also being too interested in them. Nonetheless, I’ve read a lot on the topic and even wrote a paper on it in seminary, years ago.

Thus, it was a bit strange that, in 2023, two contexts in which I found myself both, totally unexpectedly, referenced exorcism. First, in June I played several roles in the Rome (Georgia) Shakespeare Festival’s production of Julius Caesar. One was as Caius Ligarius, one of the plotters against Caesar. As that character, I told Brutus (chief plotter, and protagonist of the play) “Thou, like an exorcist, hast conjured up my mortified spirit.”

Then, in September, I took a stage acting class and was assigned the part of George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Act 3 thereof is titled “The Exorcism,” wherein George finally (attempts to) break he and Martha’s marriage free of the devilish lies they’ve been living by for years.

When I auditioned for Julius Caesar, and signed up for that acting class, I had no idea exorcism was mentioned so prominently in both.

These events probably mean nothing.

Probably.