encyclopedia of apocalypticism

I have been reading through a series which has been quite interesting, and may well be of interest for those in the broader ATS community who have an interest in the development and evolution of apocalyptic eschatology.

"The Encyclopedia of Apocalypticism" published by Continuum Press, 2000.

Is anyone else familiar with this series?

This is a 3 volume work of about 1,600 pages, and it covers the development of "apocalyptic eschatology" from it's origins in Judaism and Christianity (vol. 1) thru it's development and influence on Western history and culture (vol. 2) and ending with contemporary and modern apocalyptic, including secular apocalyptic ideas.

It is broken out into chapters, each of which consists of an essay on a given aspect by a recognized authority on that subject. For instance: one chapter is "Antichrist and Antichrists", another is "Politics and Apocalypticism", while another is "Apocalyptic in Modern Islam". There are something like 45 chapters, or essays, so the range of material covered is broad and diverse.

Because of it's format it is great for the bedside, as you can easily read a single chapter before retiring (as often as priorities allow, of course...

The essays represent the work of some great scholars: Collins, Barkun, McGinn, Landes, Emmerson, Lerner, Boyer, Weber, just to name a few.

I think this series can be of great value for those in this community because of the oft-recurring questions regarding "Antichrist" and other things associated with the "end of the world"; this series provides great understanding of the development and diversity of these themes, as well as the development of these themes in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the broader contemporary secular world.

It is available through Amazon.

So, now you have my...well, I guess it's been more than 2 cents...but the books are great.

Has anyone else read them?