Diagnosing Pathogenic Eschatology

In this essay, we explain the function and forms of prophetic Western end-time narratives that take a violent turn. We begin by describing how relatively benign end-time stories function for their adherents by analyzing the book of Daniel. Then, we analyze the end-time prophecy of David Koresh at the height of federal law enforcement pressure on his disciples in order to explain how relatively benign eschatology can take a pathogenic turn. In this pathogenic turn, the false prophet redirects the agency of teleological fulfillment away from God to himself and adherents. Implications for dealing with groups motivated by pathogenic Western end-time narratives are discussed in light of these arguments.