Brexit, Prophecy, and Conspiracy: A Necessary Rejection of an Endtime Empire

This study examines why some pretribulation premillennialist Christian leaders in the United Kingdom instructed their followers, both implicitly and explicitly, to vote to leave the European Union in the referendum in June 2016. The formation of the European Union is regarded as central to the fulfi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nova religio
Main Author: Knowles, Steven 1968- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: University of Californiarnia Press [2018]
In: Nova religio
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Great Britain / End times expectations / Conspiracy theory / Brexit
RelBib Classification:AZ New religious movements
KDH Christian sects
Further subjects:B European Union
B Brexit
B Premillennialism
B Late Modernity
B conspiracy beliefs
B Prophecy
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Summary:This study examines why some pretribulation premillennialist Christian leaders in the United Kingdom instructed their followers, both implicitly and explicitly, to vote to leave the European Union in the referendum in June 2016. The formation of the European Union is regarded as central to the fulfilment of prophecy by many premillennialists as it is purported to be the revived Roman Empire found in the books of Daniel and Revelation in the Bible. On the face of it, to vote to leave the European Union would seem to be contrary to such prophetic conjecture given the importance of the United Kingdom's role in the Union, and the perceived destabilising impact this would have on it. This article argues, utilising evidence from interviews with two premillennialist leaders and other contemporary sources, that voting to leave did not necessarily contradict previous teaching. Rather, voting to leave was not only consistent with this teaching but also reflected the rejection of many features of the late modern condition. However, the rejection of the latter has sometimes resulted in a move beyond the premillennialist prophetic framework into the realm of conspiracy beliefs.
ISSN:1541-8480
Contains:Enthalten in: Nova religio
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1525/nr.2018.21.3.7