Apocalyptism has been broadly defined as the belief that God has revealed the imminent end of the ongoing struggle between good and evil throughout history. It has been a major element in the three monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and extensive scholarship has been devoted to apocalyptic study during the latter half of the 20th century. With contributions from 42 scholars, this encyclopedia in three volumes provides a comprehensive survey of apocalypticism's role in Western history from its origins down to the eve of the third millennium.