messianism

[ mes-ee-uh-niz-uhm, muh-sahy-uh- ]

/ ˈmɛs i əˌnɪz əm, məˈsaɪ ə- /

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noun

(often initial capital letter) the belief in the coming of the Messiah, or a movement based on this belief.

the belief in a leader, cause, or ideology as a savior or deliverer.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of messianism

1875–80; <Late Latin Messīān-, stem of MessīāsMessiah + -ism

mes·si·a·nist, Mes·si·a·nist, noun

This is what scholar John Gager has called “the myth of the Maccabees” and it contributes to later forms of messianism that optimistically believed that they too could throw off the shackles of foreign domination.
Did Archaeologists Just Find Evidence of Hanukkah Stories?|Candida Moss|November 29, 2021|The Daily Beast
This big-budget adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal 1965 novel about messianism, interplanetary struggle, and ecological plunder is a corrective of sorts to David Lynch’s renowned misfire.
The Most Anticipated Fall Movies, From James Bond to Lady Gaga|Marlow Stern|September 23, 2021|The Daily Beast
In Israel, cynicism actually means flirting with messianism: annex, sigh, annex, sigh, and join in hymns to the land of Israel.
How The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process Became The World's Greatest Bore|Bernard Avishai|April 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
There is no fervent messianism like that of the settler rabbis, no secular militarism like that of Zeev Jabotinsky.
Why I Like Naftali Bennett|Shaul Magid|January 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST

But for Microsoft, the marketing messianism is more than fun and games.
War Games: Microsoft Invades Liechtenstein for Halo 4 Blowout|Alex Klein|November 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Or are they gripped by some kind of apocalyptic delusion, some dream of messianism achieved by global destruction?
Modern Israel, Medieval A'Jad|David Frum|September 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST