The Pursuit of the Millennium: Revolutionary Millenarians and Mystical Anarchists of the Middle AgesThe end of the millennium has always held the world in fear of earthquakes, plague, and the catastrophic destruction of the world. At the dawn of the 21st millennium the world is still experiencing these anxieties, as seen by the onslaught of fantasies of renewal, doomsday predictions, and New Age prophecies. This fascinating book explores the millenarianism that flourished in western Europe between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries. Covering the full range of revolutionary and anarchic sects and movements in medieval Europe, Cohn demonstrates how prophecies of a final struggle between the hosts of Christ and Antichrist melded with the rootless poor's desire to improve their own material conditions, resulting in a flourishing of millenarian fantasies. The only overall study of medieval millenarian movements, The Pursuit of the Millennium offers an excellent interpretation of how, again and again, in situations of anxiety and unrest, traditional beliefs come to serve as vehicles for social aspirations and animosities. |
Contents
| 11 | |
| 15 | |
| 19 | |
2 The Tradition of Religious Dissent | 37 |
3 The Messianism of the Disoriented Poor | 53 |
4 The Saints Against the Hosts of Antichrist | 71 |
5 In the Backwash of the Crusades | 89 |
6 The Emperor Frederick as Messiah | 108 |
10 The Egalitarian State of Nature | 187 |
11 The Egalitarian Millennium i | 198 |
12 The Egalitarian Millennium ii | 223 |
13 The Egalitarian Millennium iii | 252 |
Conclusion | 281 |
the Ranters and their literature | 287 |
Notes | 333 |
Bibliography | 372 |
Other editions - View all
The Pursuit of the Millennium: Revolutionary Millenarians and Mystical ... Norman Cohn Limited preview - 1970 |
The Pursuit of the Millennium: Revolutionary Millenarians and Mystical ... Norman Cohn Limited preview - 1970 |
Common terms and phrases
Adamites adepts Amaurians amongst Anabaptism Anabaptists Annales Antichrist apocalyptic apostles army artisans became Beghards Beguines Bishop Bockelson Bohemia Book of Revelation Brethren burnt called century Christ Christians chronicler Church claimed clergy clerics Cologne Crusade death divine doctrine earth ecclesiastical egalitarian Emperor eschatological Europe Father flagellant movement flagellants flesh followers France Frederick Free Spirit Germany Gresbeck hand heaven heresy heretical hermit Holy Hussite ibid Jerusalem Jewish Jews Joachite John John of Winterthur Kerssenbroch killed King kingdom Last Days later leader living Lord Low Countries mass massacre Matthys medieval messiah Middle Ages millenarian Millennium monks Münster Müntzer mystical Niklashausen Pastoureaux peasants People's Crusade phantasies plague poor Pope poverty preach preachers priests princes prophecies propheta Ranters reign Revelation revolt revolutionary Rhine rich Saints saviour sect secular Sibylline social soul synod Taborite Tafur Tanchelm things Thomas Müntzer thou Thuringia town tradition women
Popular passages
Page 23 - And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Page 23 - And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal...
Page 21 - For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels ; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Page 22 - And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse ; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Page 22 - And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.