In this class, we place Revelation in its first-century historical context, and thus open a window into the political, economic, and social challenges that affect the early Christian communities living under Roman rule in what is now modern Turkey. We will read Revelation as “an apocalyptic prophecy in the form of a circular letter,” an alternative vision of reality which transcends everyday space and time in order to motivate specific responses from these Christians. In this way, Revelation is a book of discipleship, calling for ethical responses. As a book of discipleship, we will explore how Revelation speaks powerfully to Christians in every generation and location, focusing especially on some twenty-first century issues of empire, economics, and ecology.