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NOTES ON AN ESCHATOLOGICAL FUNDAMENTALISM. AN EXISTENTIAL PERSPECTIVE ON ESCHATOLOGY AND POLITICS

Abstract
This paper explores the role of temporality in the rise of new nationalist ideologies through Heidegger’s early philosophy. While recent scholarship often emphasizes the future-focused nature of nationalism philosophy, some scholars like Franco Volpi and Felipe Johnson suggest that Heidegger’s neglect of the present forms the basis of these perspectives. Building on this view, I argue that Heidegger’s examination of religious experience, especially in his interpretations of Paul’s letters, helps us distinguish between two types of temporality: authentic Christian temporality and eschatological fundamentalism. Heidegger’s interpretation of Pauline eschatology highlights the phenomenological perspective of waiting for the Parousia, where anticipation is rooted in the present rather than postponed to a future event. This approach bases action on the analysis of immediacy of experience, resisting the urge to turn meaning into a speculative future. Conversely, eschatological fundamentalism fosters an inauthentic sense of time: favoring projections of the future, prioritizing hope over present action, and thus encouraging self-deception. Building on this, paper’s author develops a phenomenology of eschatological fundamentalism that explains how warped views of time influence nationalist imaginaries. Specifically, author argues that certain types of dispensational theology embody this inauthentic sense of the future and play a role in contemporary political movements. Case studies include their impact on the United States’ Capitol sedition and aspects of Javier Milei’s political approach in Argentina. By comparing genuine temporality with eschatological fundamentalism, this paper clarifies the philosophical roots of nationalist ideologies, showing how theological distortions of time can uphold political projects that prioritize a mythic future over present reality.

Keywords
Heidegger, future, Parousia, nationalism, new-right, phenomenology, religion.

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