Religion is not politically neutral, but rather, often has profound implications for people’s notions of what constitutes a right ordering of society. Systematic theologies dictate not only how one should understand God, but also how one should understand himself and his neighbor. In this way religion may serve as a foundation of core values and as a means of identity construction; translating into worldviews, political orientations and policy agendas.

Premillennialism, a theology of the end times, may serve this function for individuals who have been socialized within its tradition. As such, it is potentially politically significant. Proponents suggest that this eschatology forecasts the rise of a political and religious leader (Antichrist1) who sweeps over the geopolitical and economic landscape ushering in the end of days. Premillennialists argue that the disasters and political turmoil of the present put us on the cusp of this final era in human history. The political potential of this theology is evident in that it has been popularized in New York Times best selling books, is the eschatology of several large denominations and is held by influential figures within the Christian Community. A close reading of the premillennial narrative suggests for those socialized within this tradition a deep contention with the globalization, secularizing, authoritarian, environmentalist and anti-Semitic tendencies at play on the world’s stage.

This project examines premillennialism as a significant theological strand in American politics among elites and the mass public. It offers a history of these doctrines in American political development at four key moments (1) Miller and the Millerite movement of the 1830s and 40s, (2) the fundamentalist movement of the 1920s, (3) the rise of evangelicalism and the Christian Right in the 1980s, and (4) premillennialism at the millennium and beyond. I present a theory of premillennial subcultural identity and its function as a set of core values. Three empirical chapters follow. The first offers an evaluation of the political consequences of elite communication of premillennial political messages on the World Wide Web using web-based social network analysis. The second chapter employs ethnographic techniques (in-depth interviews as well as participant observation at premillennial events and of premillennial communities on the internet) in an exploration of premillennialism as a politically vibrant subculture. The final makes use of experimental assessment in understanding the role of premillennialism in shaping attitudes about politics. The project concludes with a summary of research findings and a discussion of the role of premillennialism in the American political landscape.

¹The Antichrist is one of the most central characters in the premillennial narrative. After the rapture the Antichrist comes to power as the head of a global government, economy and religion. This figure is responsible for the suffering faced by individuals who convert after the rapture and it is in response to the depravity which he encourages and exemplifies that the judgments of God are released on the world in the 7 year period known as the Great Tribulation.