Apocalyptic Movements (New Religious Movements)

Religious movements shaped by the expectation that the present order will soon end in a decisive divine intervention, often the return of a messiah or the arrival of a new kingdom. Such movements usually tie their hopes to a prophecy, a calculated date or a particular reading of scripture, and they gather followers who prepare for the coming change. The seventeenth century English Fifth Monarchists and the followers of William Miller in nineteenth century America are examples. Many of these groups split or reshaped themselves after the expected date passed.