This interdisciplinary endeavour portrays the central features of militant movements which hold
totality as an important part of their doctrinal core. Revisiting the importance of modernity
utopianism eschatology charisma psychology and the history of ideas Mihai Murariu pursues a
reconstruction of the historical requirements for the emergence of such movements. Making a
central use of the concept of totalism the work establishes a conceptual bridge from antiquity
to the contemporary period whilst also arguing for the suitability of the term in comparison
to totalitarianism or political religion. The author also proposes a distinct taxonomy for
structural elements variants and development phases which may be encountered in totalist
movements.
