Evaluating Millennialist Themes in Popular Culture

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Authorial Intent:

What is the author's purpose?
Is this purpose stated or unstated?
Is this a sympathetic, unsympathetic, or ambivalent rendering of the end of the world?
Does the author guide you toward a particular reading/viewing/listening?
Is the author present, absent, or lingering in the work?
How does the author describe/present the millennium?

Sources:

Which sources are used to portray millennialist themes?
Do you recognize any words, images, ideas in this text that are present in other texts?
Does the author represent or rework biblical themes?
Are there any obvious exclusions or creative inclusions in the author's rendering?
Is the connection to millennialism implied or direct?

Assumptions:

What knowledge does the author assume?
Any biblical or cultural catch-words (insiders' language)?
Is this portrayal part of a larger conversation, or does it stand on its own?

Readers' / Viewers' Response:

How does this challenge or support your own views on millennialism?
What do you find compelling or innovative about this portrayal?
Do you feel manipulated or coerced by the author's views?
If given the authority, what would you change?