"Death to the World" and Apocalyptic Theological Aesthetics

Book excerpt: Robert Saler examines the small but influential Death to the World movement in US Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Presenting a case study in theological aesthetics, Saler demonstrates how a relatively small consumer phenomenon within US Eastern Orthodoxy sits at the centre of a variety of larger questions, including: - The relationship between formal ecclesial and para-church structures - The role of the Internet in modern religiosity - Consumer structures and patterns as constitutive of piety - How theology can help us understand art and vice versa Understanding "Death to the World" as an instance of lived religion tied to questions of identity, politics of religious purity, relationships to capitalism, and concerns over conspiracy theory helps us to see how studies of uniquely American Eastern Orthodox identity must address these broader cultural strands.