Summary: Publisher Summary 1 A rabbi, philosopher of religion, and scholar of Judaism, Taubes (1923-87) was 23 when he wrote this doctoral dissertation, which became the only book of his that was published during his lifetime. He explores thinking about end times in Western thought from early Judaism to Marx and Kierkegaard. Among specific topics are the apocalyptic view of history, from Daniel to John, Paul and the unraveling of the ancient world, Joachim's prophecy and Hegelian philosophy, and Kant's philosophy of religion. Abendl盲ndische Eschatologie was published in 1947 by Matthes and Seitz, Berlin, and reprinted in 1991. This is its first translation into English. There is no index. Annotation 漏2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)   Publisher Summary 2 Occidental Eschatologyis a study of apocalypticism and its effects on Western philosophy. One of the great Jewish intellectuals of the twentieth century, Taubes published only this one book during his life, and here the English translation finally becomes available.   Publisher Summary 3 Occidental Eschatology, originally Jacob Taubes's doctoral thesis and the one book he published in his lifetime, seeks to renegotiate the historical synthesis and spiritual legacy of the West through the study of apocalypticism. Covering the origins of apocalypticism from Hebrew prophecy through antiquity and early Christianity to its medieval revival in Joachim of Fiore, Taubes reveals its later secularized forms in Kant, Hegel, Marx, and Kierkegaard. His aim is to show the lasting influence of revolutionary, messianic teleology on Western philosophy, history, and politics. Combining painstaking scholarship with an unmatched scope of reference, Taubes takes a comprehensive approach to the twin focuses of political theology and philosophy of history. He argues that acceptance of the idea that time will one day come to an end has profound implications for political thought. If natural time is experienced as an eternal cycle of events, "history" is the realm of time in which human actions can make decisions to alter the progression of events. This philosophy asks that individuals take responsibility for their own actions and resist authority that claims to act on their behalf. Whereas universal history is written by the victors, the messianic or apocalyptic event enters history and gives a voice to the oppressed.