End time beliefs affect here and now needs. . .

I've studied fundamentalism and its theology for many years.  I've also been very interested in the variations on the theme that might be called "end time movments."  These theories extend back to the earliest centuries of Christian thought and down into our present, extremely perplexing times.  No matter the shape or tradition that defines your faith, it seems to me that Sutton's analysis below is worth reading.  As always, I welcome your responses. 

I wonder how many Americans are aware of the linkages? 

Why the Antichrist Matters in Politics

By MATTHEW AVERY SUTTON
Published: September 25, 2011

THE end is near — or so it seems to a segment of Christians aligned with the religious right. The global economic meltdown, numerous natural disasters and the threat of radical Islam have fueled a conviction among some evangelicals that these are the last days. While such beliefs might be dismissed as the rantings of a small but vocal minority, apocalyptic fears helped drive the antigovernment movements of the 1930s and ’40s and could help define the 2012 presidential campaign as well.

Christian apocalypticism has a long and varied history. Its most prevalent modern incarnation took shape a century ago, among the vast network of preachers, evangelists, Bible-college professors and publishers who established the fundamentalist movement. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals and independents, they shared a commitment to returning the Christian faith to its “fundamentals.”

Biblical criticism, the return of Jews to the Holy Land, evolutionary science and World War I convinced them that the second coming of Jesus was imminent. Basing their predictions on biblical prophecy, they identified signs, drawn especially from the books of Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation, that would foreshadow the arrival of the last days: the growth of strong central governments and the consolidation of independent nations into one superstate led by a seemingly benevolent leader promising world peace.

To read the entire article click here.