The problem of terminology

It is well recognised in the field of apocalyptic studies that this area of study is plagued by considerable and continuing difficulties. First and foremost of these is the problem of confusing and ambiguous terminology which has its origin in the past. For many decades scholars conducted research into what was then called apocalyptic. This term came into English as an adaptation of the German ‘Apokalyptik’, which itself derives from the Greek word for revelation(ἀποκάλυψιζ), specifically from its presence in the first verse of the book of Revelation where it denotes the contents of that document. The word was eventually used to express two quite distinct ideas. On the one hand, it denoted a specific literary genre of ancient Jewish and Christian texts which focused on the revelation of heavenly secrets. This identification of an apocalyptic genre traces back to early Christian practice where a number of documents, similar in form to Revelation, were grouped together and referred to as apocalypses. On the other hand, the word ‘apocalyptic’ was also employed to describe a particular eschatologically oriented world view which was thought to dominate the apocalyptic literature. Almost inevitably this dual sense of the same term led to semantic confusion. Because the same word covered quite different concepts, a literary genre and a world view, it was often difficult to decide which of the two senses was intended in any given reference to apocalyptic.