天啟思想是形成猶太--基督教傳統的決定性因素，也是兩千年來西方文化的重 要「母題」之一。歷來西方學者多僅就此一主題之部份進行專題研究，鮮有綜論評介之作。 本論文採評介的方式，較全面的探討天啟思想在西方的源起脈絡，著重其在泛希臘文化至早 期羅馬帝國時期的成熟階段。文內主要分五大部分，首先界定「天啟」的意義與內涵，次則 說明天啟思想起源多端，及其如何於猶太歷史中演進發展，再則介紹天啟的史料與作品，並 分析其思想特徵，最後則提出現代學者對此一主題的各種不同理論與論釋。本文除了試圖描 繪天啟思想在西方如何形成，更多方評述不同的學術觀點，意在凸顯此一主題在宗教與文化 史上的意義、影響與重要性，並建議將其運用於傳統中國與當代臺灣宗教之研究。

　　　　　Apocalypticism is one of the fundamental elements that constitute Judaism and Christianity. It is also an important cultural motif that has substantially shaped and influenced the Western civilization. This article is a critical introduction to the origins and development of Apocalypticism in the West, with an emphasis on its final formation in the Heleenistic and early Roman Empire periods. It consists of five parts. The first defines the contents of Apocalypticism; the second explains how this important religious thought arose and came to formation in Judaism; the third introduces the works on Apocalypticism; the fourth, then, analyzes the major features of these works; the last part brings out different theories by which modern scholars interpret Apocalypticism. Besides looking into the historical background in which Apocalypticism originated and came to fruition in the West, this article also highlights its significance in religious and cultural history. Lastly, this article suggests that the light that has been shed on the study of Apocalypticism in the West can be applied to similar religious phenomena in both traditional China and contemporary Taiwan.