The end is near! It’s eschatology and R.E.M. in part one of this two-part almost-the-end-of-the-season mega-episode. After discussing some of the greatest apocalyptic tunes in the history of rock and roll, your intrepid cohosts settle on a 1987 hit from R.E.M., “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine).” Along the way, Garrick tries to convince everyone that “The Final Countdown” by Europe is a song about the end of time, but of course it isn’t and Garrick probably already knows that. Timothy reminisces about the films that terrorized him in his fundamentalist childhood before defining “eschatology” and discussing different views of the end of time. What Garrick and Timothy discover as they take a look at the end of time is that, in the late modern era, eschatologies shifted from looking forward to looking inward. In many contexts, the result has been a failure to talk about the end of time at all. And yet, an avoidance of this topic is no less harmful than an over-emphasis on it. The episode ends with a cliffhanger as the dynamic duo begins to list four essential truths about the end of time but then stops after the first one. To discover the rest of these essential truths, be sure to listen to part two of this episode. This episode’s Toybox Hero Tournament is the most ridiculous encounter yet in a season that has been a veritable fountain of ridiculousness. Garrick puts on a bomber jacket and plays a song on his daughter’s ukulele, hoping to save himself from certain destruction by calming the wrath of an Amazonian superheroine. The superheroine is unimpressed and, now, there is one less ukulele in the world. Also, “Ukulele Wonder Women” would be the perfect name for an all-girl acoustic punk band. The new cover art for this season was created by Dani Wallace (daniwallace.myportfolio.com). In Today's Episode Timothy Paul Jones, Ph.D., is C. Edwin Gheens Professor of Christian Ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He teaches in the areas of family ministry and applied apologetics. He has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including Why Should I Trust the Bible?, The God Who Goes Before You, Perspectives on Family Ministry, and Christian History Made Easy. Follow Dr. Jones at @DrTimothyPJones. Garrick Bailey is a Ph.D. student in systematic theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, studying Herman Bavinck and Roman Catholicism under the supervision of Gregg Allison. Links to Click B and H Academic A Theology for the Church: book edited by Daniel Akin Rose Guide to End-Times Prophecy: book by Timothy Paul Jones The Burning Hell: film by Estus Pirkle All Along the Watchtower: song by Jimi Hendrix Bad Moon Rising: song by Creedence Clearwater Revival Fight Fire with Fire: song by Metallica Four Horsemen: song by Metallica 99 Red Balloons: song by Nena The Final Countdown: song by Europe It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine): song by R.E.M. America's Greatest Band: article by Eric Harvey R.E.M.'s First Ever Show: article by J. Niimi Oddfellows Local 151: song by R.E.M. We Didn't Start the Fire: song by Billy Joel Murmur: album by R.E.M. SBTS Preview Day Urban Ministry Podcast How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future song