It is hard to deny that fears of apocalypse and the appeals of apocalypticism today feel increasingly relevant. As Lorenzo DiTommaso argues in the concluding essay of The Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature, the disorienting breakdown of the post-1945 liberal world order perhaps has triggered a resurgence of the apocalyptic worldview (322). This volume deals with apocalyptic literature and thought throughout history, beginning with its origins in ancient Judaism and early Christianity (in an essay by John J. Collins). Notably useful is Ian Paul's introduction to the Book of Revelation (36–58), covering the question of date and author, major themes, and reception/interpretation. Among many excellent studies, Jesse Hoover, John Carey, and András Kraft provide overviews of apocalyptic literature in Donatist North Africa, medieval Ireland, and Byzantium, respectively.

One of the major appeals here is E. Ann Matter's update of her important 1992 essay, “The Apocalypse in Early Medieval Exegesis.” Matter's new version incorporates some recent scholarship on the Apocalypse (Book of Revelation) and is lightly rewritten and expanded. Though Matter now claims only a scope up to the ninth century (121), reduced from the twelfth in the original, the coverage is not actually curtailed—in fact, Matter has added some concluding comments on the trajectory of exegesis on the Book of Revelation leading to the renewed millennialism of Joachim of Fiore ca. 1200 AD. On this topic, Brett Whalen's contribution on Joachim (190–211) is another standout piece in the volume, providing an excellent introduction for anyone interested in the Calabrian abbot's work and its context.

The volume also highlights the continued relevance of apocalyptic thinking and writing beyond the Middle Ages with essays on apocalypticism in the Renaissance, in the Enlightenment, and among American evangelicals. The level of scholarship throughout is high—the essays here may well fill in gaps in syllabi for upper division undergraduate courses and, more likely, graduate seminars—but many contributors also make efforts to connect their work to popular culture (references to the Left Behind series abound).

If the volume has any fault, it is that its coverage is not as broad as its title implies. Approximately half the contributions deal with the European Middle Ages, broadly conceived. The Jewish apocalyptic tradition is underserved. There is but one study on Islamic apocalypticism—concerning the roots of jihadi ideology (270–287). The rich apocalyptic traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, and the pre-Columbian New World are overlooked.