This Section contains a series of briefing papers on historical events that have shaped perceptions about the Messiah from the time of Christ until today. Conflict and warfare have played a prominent part in disseminating and influencing views of the Messiah through the ages, which is why I’ve titled this section “The Messiah Wars.”

Although interest in the Messiah began well before Jesus appeared, that moment in history stands out because aspirations to change the entire world began to take flight after He appeared.

Perhaps the most widely shared belief historically has been that violence is a necessary stage of attaining and holding onto peace and prosperity. I’ll address that topic in the next Section, The Mystery of the Messiah.

I. INTRODUCTION

1.   A Trilogy of Traumas – Framing the big picture of a world divided against itself

II.   OUR IMPERIAL PAST

2.   The Holy Roman Empire – Conquering the world in Christ’s name

3.   Rise of the Muslim Empire – A new imperial force contending for world dominance

4.   Empire Metrics and Maps – Reckoning empires by death tolls and territory

III.  THE RISE OF MODERN TERROR

5.   One Thought, Two Dreams – Tethering freedom to Logic instead of the Divine Logos

6.   Dark Shades of Marxism – Oppressing people to end oppression

7.   The Russian Caldron – The brooding empire that propelled global revolutions

8.   Revolution as Religion – Reconfiguring the world through ideology and victimhood

9.   Unholy Alliance – The Mufti meets Hitler and refuels jihad

IV.  GLOBAL VISIONS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

10. Digital Domains Rising – Forging global empires of the heart and mind

11. Hyper Economics – Rethinking economics to better sustain prosperity and peace

12. Tunnels in the Desert – Smoke signals from the Gaza Strip