apocalypseANTINOMIANISM
A concept derived from the Greek terms anti (against) and nomos (law).
It refers to those within a religious tradition who think that laws do not
apply to them because they have spiritually transcended secular or reli-
gious law, and thus need not obey common laws or social regulations. It
can also designate those who view laws as confining, restrictive, and
obstructive of spiritual attainment and thus justly violated in order to attain
their religious goal. Aghori ascetics of the Hindu Śaiva tradition, for
instance, act contrary to prevailing social norms since the Middle Ages in
India by eating the flesh of corpses, carrying a skull bowl with which to
beg their food, drinking intoxicants, living in cremation grounds, and cov-
ering their bodies with ashes from cremated corpses. Left-handed Tantric
schools partake of five items that are forbidden to orthodox members of
Hindu society: wine, meat, fish, parched grain (probably an intoxicant),
and illicit sex. Since the Sanskrit terms begin with the letter M, these five
forbidden items and practices are called the five Ms. The behavior of the
Aghori ascetics and Tantric adepts is contrary to and violates social and
religious norms from the perspective of established patterns of action. By
violating these norms, the ascetics think that they can stimulate their inner
spiritual energy and accelerate their path to liberation.
Further reading: White (1996, 2005)APOCALYPSE
A concept derived from a Greek term apokalypsis meaning to uncover,
unveil, or reveal. This is often a revelation about the end of time in
Jewish and Christian writings that is expressed by bizarre visions, strange
symbolism, and supernatural happenings. An apocalypse represents a
secret knowledge about the heavenly world or destiny of the current
world. In Hebrew Scriptures, the book of Isaiah (24–27) is often called,
for instance, the little apocalypse in which the writer portrays the final
judgment of God upon all nations as a cosmic catastrophe. This type of
literature tends to be composed during times of persecution, making
secrecy paramount in order to keep teachings from the persecuting polit-
ical powers. Therefore, it is composed in a spiritual code language that
makes it a sealed book against others external to the inner circle of the
faithful. An excellent example is the Hebrew book of Daniel, which is