Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 07-07-2013, 11:13 PM

When I looked through the program for the SBL next fall, I noticed this:

Quote:

John's Apocalypse and Cultural Contexts Ancient and Modern
Joint Session With: Scripture and Film, John's Apocalypse and Cultural Contexts Ancient and Modern, Wisdom and Apocalypticism in Early Judaism and Early Christianity

11/25/2013, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Room: 349 - Convention Center

Theme: Film Viewing and Discussion: Apocalypse Later: Harold Camping vs The End of the World

Harold Camping sounded the alarm. May 21, 2011 was to be Judgment Day, God's intervention into our worldly affairs. The Bible guaranteed it! For most Americans, these are the Last Days. Fully 79% of Americans believe Jesus will return to earth someday. Forty percent believe Jesus will return before 2050! Apocalypse Later traces the roots of end times proclamations back to the Book of Daniel, on to the historical Jesus, and lastly Paul, the greatest of the Apostles. The same excitement that Harold tapped into for his May 21st prediction, is the same excitement that helped birth a new religion 2000 years ago.

Showing of Apocalypse Later

Zeke Piestrup, Director, Apocalypse Later, Introduction (10 min)
Jacqueline Hidalgo, Williams College, Respondent (10 min)
Dereck Daschke, Truman State University, Respondent (10 min)
Discussion (20 min)

And then, through some sort of synchronicity, I got to see the film today.

I recommend it highly. The filmmaker,

Zeke_Piestrup, managed to get Camping to pay him to post youtube videos in the weeks leading up to the End of the World. He deftly intersplices interviews with Camping and his family with some of the "top dawgs" of Biblical scholarship - mainly John J. Collins of Yale Divinity School and Bart Ehrman - who explain the real background of the apocalyptic elements of the Bible. Near the end of the film, he covers an SBL panel on the apocalypse.

It would be easy to just mock Camping, but, as some of the scholars point out, failed prophecies rarely seem to lead to the demise of a religious group, and the failed prophet who reinterprets the prophecy is a continuing theme of religious history.

What makes this film an artistic and humanistic success is that Piestrup, while not a believer, is a fan of Christian television and the culture of Christian churches, and sees the essential humanity of Camping, who at the end of the film is shown apologizing and saying that he was mistaken.

There is no hint of sympathy for the content of any of Camping's beliefs or theology, which are clearly wrong and deluded, but he is a fascinating subject.

Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/ApocalypseLaterHaroldCamping

IMDB

Quote:

Cast
Harold Camping
Bart D. Ehrman
Peter A. Lillback
John J. Collins
Loren Stuckenbruck

Trailer:

Tenorikuma · 07-07-2013, 11:18 PM

Is there anywhere to see Apocalypse Later online?

Toto · 07-07-2013, 11:29 PM

There will be eventually according to the youtube page.

Quote:

wollclark: Is there anyway to watch this via video-on-demand? There's no way this movie would play anywhere near where I live.

EzekielThirtyThree3: Eventually, dude. Currently the film is playing the festival circuit. We're coming to Chicago next.

Zeke_Piestrup · 08-23-2013, 09:20 PM

Toto,
Thank you for proselytizing for the flick. Your post is how I ended up tangled up in the criterion thread. Where'd you see it?

Toto · 08-24-2013, 12:44 AM

I'm a regular at CFI in Los Angeles.

ficino · 08-24-2013, 05:14 AM

Interesting parallel: some years ago, WINS in NYC had lots of paid advertisements from the Lubavitcher Hasidim. A Rabbi Shmuel Buttman (not sure of spelling) kept talking about how the appearance of "Moshiach" was imminent. It was obvious that the then chief Rabbi, Menahem Schneersohn, was the subject of these announcements. Schneersohn died not much later. Then there were announcements about how Moshiach had come spiritually. Then the publicity petered out. The Lubavitchers continue. I'm not sure whether Buttman is still a leader among them.

aa5874 · 08-24-2013, 08:49 AM

The Camping false claims reinforce the fact that there was NO need for an historical Jesus.

All that is needed is BELIEF.

The people who BELIEVED Camping can call themselves Christians without ever seeing a real human Jesus.

In the earliest story of Jesus, it is also claimed that the Kingdom of God was at Hand. See Mark 1.

By the way, the words of the supposed Jesus are actually from an ANONYMOUS writer.

Zeke_Piestrup · 08-24-2013, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficino

Interesting parallel: some years ago, WINS in NYC had lots of paid advertisements from the Lubavitcher Hasidim. A Rabbi Shmuel Buttman (not sure of spelling) kept talking about how the appearance of "Moshiach" was imminent. It was obvious that the then chief Rabbi, Menahem Schneersohn, was the subject of these announcements. Schneersohn died not much later. Then there were announcements about how Moshiach had come spiritually. Then the publicity petered out. The Lubavitchers continue. I'm not sure whether Buttman is still a leader among them.

I surf with a dude who grew up in the Schneersohn community. Crazy stories.

aa5874 · 08-24-2013, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficino

Interesting parallel: some years ago, WINS in NYC had lots of paid advertisements from the Lubavitcher Hasidim. A Rabbi Shmuel Buttman (not sure of spelling) kept talking about how the appearance of "Moshiach" was imminent. It was obvious that the then chief Rabbi, Menahem Schneersohn, was the subject of these announcements. Schneersohn died not much later. Then there were announcements about how Moshiach had come spiritually. Then the publicity petered out. The Lubavitchers continue. I'm not sure whether Buttman is still a leader among them.

The story of Jesus is the opposite.

The stories of Jesus came at least 70 years AFTER he was supposedly dead.

In fact, it was claimed that Vespasian was the predicted Messianic ruler long BEFORE stories of a resurrected Jesus appeared in the Roman Empire.

It was a LONG ESTABLISHED belief by Jews that Messianic rulers would come c 66-70 CE--NOT c1-33 CE.

Adam · 08-24-2013, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficino

Interesting parallel: some years ago, WINS in NYC had lots of paid advertisements from the Lubavitcher Hasidim. A Rabbi Shmuel Buttman (not sure of spelling) kept talking about how the appearance of "Moshiach" was imminent. It was obvious that the then chief Rabbi, Menahem Schneersohn, was the subject of these announcements. Schneersohn died not much later. Then there were announcements about how Moshiach had come spiritually. Then the publicity petered out. The Lubavitchers continue. I'm not sure whether Buttman is still a leader among them.

If the Lubavitcher you're talking about is Schmuel Boteach, he's still about the best-known rabbi in the U. S.

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07-07-2013, 11:18 PM	#2
Tenorikuma Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Japan Posts: 156	Is there anywhere to see Apocalypse Later online?

08-23-2013, 09:20 PM	#4
Zeke_Piestrup Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 6	Toto, Thank you for proselytizing for the flick. Your post is how I ended up tangled up in the criterion thread. Where'd you see it?

08-24-2013, 12:44 AM	#5
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	I'm a regular at CFI in Los Angeles.

08-24-2013, 05:14 AM	#6
ficino Regular Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New York Posts: 252	Interesting parallel: some years ago, WINS in NYC had lots of paid advertisements from the Lubavitcher Hasidim. A Rabbi Shmuel Buttman (not sure of spelling) kept talking about how the appearance of "Moshiach" was imminent. It was obvious that the then chief Rabbi, Menahem Schneersohn, was the subject of these announcements. Schneersohn died not much later. Then there were announcements about how Moshiach had come spiritually. Then the publicity petered out. The Lubavitchers continue. I'm not sure whether Buttman is still a leader among them.

08-24-2013, 08:49 AM	#7
aa5874 Contributor Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: the fringe of the caribbean Posts: 18,988	The Camping false claims reinforce the fact that there was NO need for an historical Jesus. All that is needed is BELIEF. The people who BELIEVED Camping can call themselves Christians without ever seeing a real human Jesus. In the earliest story of Jesus, it is also claimed that the Kingdom of God was at Hand. See Mark 1. By the way, the words of the supposed Jesus are actually from an ANONYMOUS writer.

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