A Policymaker's Guide to Apocalyptic Belief

Abstract

The 1993 Waco tragedy triggered a storm of criticism of federal authorities' actions, including their refusal to hold substantive consultations with religion experts on the apoca­lyptic worldview of David Koresh and his followers. Such consultations, critics say, may have prevented the deadly outcome. This paper takes this standpoint a step further by developing a preliminary framework to help policymakers make sense of the apocalyptic mindset before tragedy strikes. The framework is developed from: 1) an examination of the events at Waco, 2) a comparison of the Branch Davidian faith and an apocalyptic movement in ancient Judea over two thousand years ago, and 3) typologies of apocalyptic belief identified by biblical scholars.