ABSTRACT
In the Book of Revelation, the terror of the Endtimes is followed by the balm of the New Jerusalem, that is, state of grace that is the reward of the just. Over the centuries, this promise of heavenly Paradise has become entangled with earthly politics. American Exceptionalism, the Utopian movements of the 19th century, the dark purifications of National Socialism, and millenarian convictions on both sides of the so-called clash of civilizations all bear the imprint of the New Jerusalem’s assurance of human perfectibility. The human consequences of this belief have varied widely. This essay examines how four contemporary artists have drawn on their own religious backgrounds to create works that explore, in different ways, the equivocal messages inherent in the concept of Paradise.
