This course aims at familiarizing students with the biblical book of Revelation (the Apocalypse). Introductory issues such as the apocalyptic genre, structure, authorship, date, intended audience will be covered, as well as proposed reconstructions of the social and religious setting of the Church of the first century reflected in the book. The Apocalypse will be read as it was meant to: against the background of the Gospel, Old Testament prophecy and other apocalyptic literature of the time. However, this course also intends to raise awareness of our contemporary reading context and train students in reader-oriented biblical hermeneutics. Global politics, socioeconomics, paleontology and ecology will provide the contemporary background against which a critical reading of Revelation may prove fruitful for Christian eschatology nowadays