Creators, Creatures and Victim-Survivors: Word, Silence and Some Humane Voices of Self-Determination from the Wycliffe Bible of 1388 to the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights 1993.

Abstract

This analysis of apocalyptic rhetoric brings nine generations of the written text of the Johannine Apocalypse into a contemporary (1989-1994) framework which includes phenomena such as self-determination, mutual interdependence and psychoterror. The discussion is mediated by disciplines and backgrounds of Religion and Literature. The critical method is religio-literary. Literary themes from the Johannine Apocalypse, especially themes of annihilation, torment, blessedness and rapture, structure the discussion. These themes are related to ideas of self-determination such as were proclaimed at the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights (UNWCHR), Vienna, 1993. The discussion questions the axioms of self determination, especially the matter of indivisibility which came to issue during UNWCHR, Vienna, 1993. Some policies and practices of the Australian government's human rights activities are discussed. Attention is then redirected to the Johannine Apocalypse as a polyvalent source of apocalyptic ideation and a source of social empowerment.