The sociology of hope

the long version

This book focuses on hope as a religious phenomenon, as the inspiration for various kinds of millenarianism, their cults of possession and utopian experiments. Drawing in particular on anthropology and the sociology of religion, the author presents a survey of millenarianism in many cultures, including Judaism, Islam and the early Christians. He also considers more recent millenarianisms such as the Fifth Monarchy Men, the Mormons, the Doukhobors and 'Black Messiah' movements in the Third World. He goes on to indicate the relationships between revolutionary ideologies and religious messianism, and points to the contrast between older movements, which were predominantly religious, and more recent forms of millenarianism, which tend to be social in character. He stresses, however, that both have or had a common aim -- the achievement of a perfect society.