Mapping the End Times

'For much of the twentieth century political belief and practice seemed to be dominated by great secular visions that competed in their promise of a better world in the future. That now seems like a distant memory. The greatest conflicts around the world today all seem directly inspired by differences in religious belief. Images of worlds other than this one are driving political consciousness and action. The beauty of this collection lies in showing from an array of fascinating angles how much geopolitical competition in preparation for a transcendent world has now replaced historical becoming as the leitmotif of world politics.' John Agnew, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 'Sturm and Dittmer have brought together a range of specific analyses that speak to a wide set of issues. The studies range from elite discourses to popular culture and from theoretical engagements to detailed empirical work. Challenging, powerful and disturbing, this is a much needed volume on a pressing geopolitical concern.' Stuart Elden, Durham University, UK ’The collected essays are informative and often fascinating.’ Journal of Church and State 'The volume’s strength is that it critiques how eschatolo­gies are deployed as a means to attain the secular ends of nation-building at the expense of nonexceptional others.' Annals of the Association of American Geographers