Whatever happens in 2024 in the United States, events of the last decade make it realistic to expect surprising political developments and horrible events. Notable political forces now claim that their projects lead toward an imminent cosmic cataclysm that destroys the ruling powers of evil and raises the righteous to life in a glorious kingdom – thus the title. We aim to understand how a national election unfolds in a political and cultural landscape of warlike polarization, metaphorical and sometimes real violence, and eroding democratic commitments. This analysis requires rethinking basic elements of the field of American politics as well as critical engagement with studies of ‘democratic backsliding’ in old and new democracies. For Ph.D. students in Politics, this course provides a rebuilt field seminar. For all participants, we consider how political decline might be tempered or even reversed, without relying on a fantasy of total victory for one’s side in grueling conflicts.