Millenarian Violence in Australia

Focusing on the complex relationship between law enforcement and apocalyptic adherents, this article examines the development of millenarian violence in Australia, using a previously unconsidered methodological approach. This article aims to apply new thinking that will expand the range of scholarly tools that can be developed both for policing and for small religious communities that feel themselves sidelined and expectant of great and sudden change. In this way, I endeavour to improve the comprehension of violent eruption and social stability when it comes to police interactions with believers who have constructed their own end-time narratives (ETNs). I argue that learning from past events (both international and domestic) can help Australian law enforcement, policymakers, and academics focused on the examination of religion and violence to have a better understanding of the mechanisms of violence, and for policing bodies to establish a “gold standard” approach to defusing the atmosphere of millenarian violence.