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Messianic Traditions and the Revolutions They Inspired By

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Messianic Traditions and the Revolutions They Inspired By Theology of Revolution: Messianic Traditions and the Revolutions They Inspired By Copyright 2012 Jaime Lenninger McLellan Submitted to the graduate degree program in Global and International Studies and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. ________________________________ Chairperson Rose Greaves ________________________________ Co- Chairperson Robert F. Baumann ________________________________ Timothy Miller Date Defended: 8 December 2011 The Thesis Committee for Jaime Lenninger McLellan certifies that this is the approved version of the following thesis: Theology of Revolution: Messianic Traditions and the Revolutions They Inspired ________________________________ Chairperson Rose Greaves ________________________________ Co-Chairperson Robert F. Baumann Date approved: 8 December 2011 ii Abstract Jaime Lenninger McLellan M.A. Global and International Studies Department of Global and International Studies, December 2011 University of Kansas Many scholars have long held that religious disputes are a major source of prolonged conflict. Accordingly, as religious zeal continues to be a primary motivator in conflicts throughout the modern world, the ability to understand the conditions under which religious movements erupt in violence and overthrow the existing government becomes increasingly important. This analysis examines four case studies to determine those factors most influential to a messianic movement’s overall success. A qualitative regression analysis was then conducted across twenty-five messianic movements, both revolutionary and pacifist, to determine which of these factors is statistically significant. Of the characteristics identified throughout the case studies, only a portion were determined to be statistically significant indicators of a movement’s success. In a general sense it is a recent reversal of status, often the result of war, plague, or natural disaster, which prompted a messianic movement’s transition to violence. Those movements that have some level of mysticism inherent within them also influenced the movement’s escalation to violence. However, it is the charismatic authority, along with the presence of some outsider or ‘other’ particularly in a position of power, who unites a movement and ultimately impacts the movement’s ability to overthrow the government. If the movement has some feelings of elitism and antinomianism along with mystical elements, they are also more likely to succeed in overthrowing the government. The typical signs of the end times: plague, natural disasters, and war also play a role in a movement’s success. In the end, however, it is the element of permissive authority that is the most important factor. It is not until the existing government chooses to ignore the movement’s progress, or fails to defeat the movement in its first revolutionary act, that the movement can successfully overthrow the established authority. iii Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... iii Section I – A Brief Introduction .................................................................................................. 1 Section II - Messianic and Mahdist Traditions ........................................................................ 11 Section III – “It’s All Just a Little Bit of History Repeating” ................................................ 16 The Anabaptist Madness at Münster......................................................................................... 16 Origins and Doctrine ............................................................................................................. 16 Establishing a Revolutionary Ideology ................................................................................. 20 Brief History of Münster ....................................................................................................... 21 Anabaptist Rising .................................................................................................................. 25 Concluding Thoughts ............................................................................................................ 31 Savonarola Movement .............................................................................................................. 33 Origins and Doctrine ............................................................................................................. 34 Establishing a Revolutionary Ideology ................................................................................. 36 Florentine History ................................................................................................................. 39 Savonarola Rising ................................................................................................................. 42 Concluding Thoughts ............................................................................................................ 52 Babi Movement ......................................................................................................................... 54 Origins and Doctrine ............................................................................................................. 54 Iranian History ...................................................................................................................... 57 Establishing a Revolutionary Ideology ................................................................................. 62 Babi Rising............................................................................................................................ 66 Concluding Thoughts ............................................................................................................ 77 The Mahdi Rebellion ................................................................................................................ 80 Origins and Doctrine ............................................................................................................. 80 History of the Sudan ............................................................................................................. 83 Establishing a Revolutionary Ideology ................................................................................. 90 Mahdi Rising ......................................................................................................................... 93 Concluding Thoughts .......................................................................................................... 103 Section IV – Finding Meaning in it All ................................................................................... 105 Appendix A – References ......................................................................................................... A-1 Appendix B – Regression Analysis Data Set .......................................................................... B-1 iv Table of Figures Figure 1. Münster 1570. ............................................................................................................... 16 Figure 2. Spread of Anabaptists 1525-1550. ............................................................................... 17 Figure 3. Execution of Anabaptists. ............................................................................................. 30 Figure 4. The Republic of Florence 1300-1494. .......................................................................... 33 Figure 5. Italy 1494. ..................................................................................................................... 39 Figure 6. Savonarola’s Execution. ............................................................................................... 52 Figure 7. Persia 1701. .................................................................................................................. 62 Figure 8. Egypt Sudan under British Control. ............................................................................. 85 Table of Tables Table 1. Iranian Historical Episodes. ........................................................................................... 57 Table 2. Regression Model for Revolutionary Movements. ...................................................... 114 Table 3. Revolutionary Messianic Movements that Successfully Depose the Government. .... 115 v Section I – A Brief Introduction In recent history, the resurgence of religious zeal has often come to define state interactions. Contemporary authors compete to release the latest analysis on the impact of religion in modern history. Historically, religion has played a significant role in instigating social change. Apocalyptic, millenarian, messianic, and mahdistic movements have often resorted to violence to realize their assertions. Millennialism first emerged as a field of study within sociology following the publication of Norman Cohn’s influential work, In Pursuit of the Millennium. Scholarship exists, not only on the Judeo-Christian tradition, but within other major religions as well, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. Following Cohn’s seminal work, many authors embarked on the difficult journey of documenting millennial movements across time and space. However, many of these same authors noticed that even though religion was often considered a revolutionary force, few studies examined historical examples of religion’s
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