Apocalypse and Reform from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages

Apocalypse and Reform from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages provides a range of perspectives on what reformist apocalypticism meant for the formation of Medieval Europe, from the Fall of Rome to the twelfth century. It explores and challenges accepted narratives about both the development of apocalyptic thought and the way it intersected with cultures of reform to influence major transformations in the medieval world. Bringing together a wealth of knowledge from academics in Britain, Europe and the USA this book offers the latest scholarship in apocalypse studies. It consolidates a paradigm shift, away from seeing apocalypse as a radical force for a suppressed minority, and towards a fuller understanding of apocalypse as a mainstream cultural force in history. Together, the chapters and case studies capture and contextualise the variety of ideas present across Europe in the Middle Ages and set out points for further comparative study of apocalypse across time and space. Offering new perspectives on what ideas of 'reform' and 'apocalypse' meant in Medieval Europe, Apocalypse and Reform from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages provides students with the ideal introduction to the study of apocalypse during this period.

About the Author

Matthew Gabriele is Associate Professor and Coordinator of Medieval & Early Modern Studies in the Department of Religion and Culture at Virginia Tech, USA. His previous publications include An Empire of Memory: The Legend of Charlemagne, the Franks, and Jerusalem before the First Crusade (2011), The Legend of Charlemagne in the Middle Ages: Power, Faith, and Crusade (2008) and Where Heaven and Earth Meet: Essays on Medieval Europe in Honor of Daniel F. Callahan (2014).

James T. Palmer is Reader in Medieval History at St Andrews, UK. His previous publications include The Apocalypse in the Early Middle Ages (2014) and Anglo-Saxons in a Frankish World 690-900 (2009).