The Harold Vyvyan Alfred and Vere Harmsworth Memorial Lecture: 'Armageddon: The First World War as Millenarian Moment'

Speaker: Professor Adrian Gregory

For many, the bloodshed and destruction of the Great War seemed like the end of the world. Some believed this in the most literal sense, some in a more metaphorical manner, but there were many that hoped and believed that the war might be the forerunner to a redeemed world for the select few. This lecture will examine these varieties of such beliefs, both conventionally religious and secular, and asks whether the concept of millenarianism is a useful category for understanding radical politics in the shadow of war.  Ranging from the Jehovah's Witness to the Ba'hai, from uprisings in Southern Africa to Dublin and Petrograd, this lecture held to commemorate the Armistice is deliberately intended to think about the war's many meanings beyond the Western Front. This lecture is part of Professor Gregory's ongoing research on Global religion in the era of the Great War. An AHRC funded project.

Please note that the auditorium doors will be closed 5 minutes before the event. This lecture is free and open to all, however, attendees must register for their place on Eventbrite.