The Future of the Apocalypse and the Apocalypse of the Future: Conclusions and Prospects

Abstract

This final chapter summarizes the findings of the volume, arguing that New Testament scholars ought to re-engage the manuscript tradition in new ways, that paratexts are valuable sources of information for a bevy of critical questions, and that there is much work to be done in this area. The chapter muses on the significance of these studies for the future of the book of Revelation and thinks about the book of Revelation of the future. This chapter informs a number of pressing concerns and contributes to a larger discourse in the humanities about the nature and function of editions, changing technology and critical praxis, and the mediated nature of all literary enterprises. It concludes by exploring possible areas for future research and contemplating the shape and functionalities of future editions of the New Testament.