Dr. Matthew Sutton will give a talk titled “Anticipating the Antichrist: The Rise of American Fundamentalism in a Global Age.”
Starting in the early 20th century, a colorful and charismatic group of radical Protestants, anticipating the end of the world, paradoxically transformed it. Perceiving the United States as besieged by Satanic forces—communism and secularism, family breakdown and government encroachment—Billy Sunday, Billy Graham, and many others took to the pulpit and airwaves to explain how Biblical end-times prophecy made sense of a world ravaged by global wars, genocide, and the threat of nuclear extinction. Rather than withdraw from their communities to wait for Armageddon, they used what little time was left to warn of the coming Antichrist, save souls, and prepare the United States for God’s final judgment. In his talk, Prof. Sutton will show the rise of the American Christian Right from the beginning of the 20th century until today. See the poster for sponsorship information.
