The Dialectic of Collapse and Salvation: A Comparative Analytical Study of Apocalyptic and Mesianism and Their Transformations in Contemporary Politics

Abstract

This study examines the dialectical relationship between apocalypticism and messianism in contemporary politics. It argues that both concepts have evolved from religious ideas into political frameworks for interpreting crises and producing political legitimacy. The study highlights the growing influence of narratives of collapse and salvation in shaping political discourse and collective consciousness.The research explores how apocalypticism and messianism interact within contemporary political thought and assumes that they function as complementary structures: apocalypticism frames political reality through narratives of crisis and collapse, while messianism offers narratives of redemption through exceptional leadership or political projects.The study concludes that both concepts have become influential analytical frameworks in contemporary politics. Apocalypticism reinforces perceptions of existential threat, whereas messianism legitimizes political authority by presenting it as a means of collective salvation. Their interaction helps explain the persistence of crisis-centered political discourse in the contemporary world. This research begins with the premise that apocalypticism and messianism are not merely concepts with religious roots, but rather constitute an interconnected interpretive framework that is repurposed in contemporary politics to generate political meaning, legitimacy, and crisis management. The study posits that the relationship between them is dialectical and functional; apocalypticism produces a narrative of collapse and existential threat, while messianism produces a narrative of salvation and the restoration of order.