New World Order conspiracy theory fuses millenarian Christianity with secret-society pseudohistory

Evidence

The idea of the New World Order as a sinister development draws on two distinct streams of ideas that evolved separately but eventually converged. One source is millenarian Christianity, embedded in fundamentalist Protestantism. Its speculations about the end-times, when history would reach its climax and termination, led to scenarios in which a diabolical fi gure—the Antichrist—would fasten his grip upon the world. The other, secular source, less easily categorized, consists of a body of historical and political pseudoscholarship that purported to explain major events in terms of the machinations of secret societies. They, rather than governments, were said to be the real holders of power. The eventual aim of these shadowy plotters was nothing less than world domination—the imposition of a New World Order. — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 245

Categorization

• DEFINE: Lays out the two genealogical streams — religious millenarianism and secular secret-society lore — that compose the NWO concept.
• XREF: connects to: New World Order conspiracy theory spans the religious-secular divide — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 346; Millenarian movements adopt conspiracy beliefs to explain their unpopularity and delayed end-times — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 69; New World Order theory united religious and secular conspiracy audiences — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 397 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• New World Order conspiracy theory spans the religious-secular divide #expands (0.85) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 346
• New World Order theory united religious and secular conspiracy audiences #expands (0.85) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 397
• New World Order theory unites religious and secular audiences #expands (0.85) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 397
• Post-1960s millennialism freely blends traditions into conspiracist bricolage #expands (0.80) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 110
• Millenarian movements adopt conspiracy beliefs to explain their unpopularity and delayed end-times #responds-to (0.75) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 69
• Conspiracy millenarians draw on a shared reservoir spanning religion, aliens, and strange races #expands (0.75) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 159
• Tradition-bound millennialisms restrict conspiracy ideas to those their own canon allows #qualifies (0.75) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 109
• Conspiracy theories describe an eternal secret nation behind visible events #expands (0.70)