Apocalypse as Utopian Expectation (800-1500). The Apocalypse Commentary of Berengaudius of Ferrieres and the Relationship between Exegesis, Liturgy and Iconography

this Study Relates The Utopian Expectation Of (early) Medieval Apocalypse Commentaries To Exegesis And Liturgy As Well As To (later) Medieval Art. It Provides A First-time Ever Discussion Of The Commentary By Berengaudus Of Ferrières, Establishes Him As A Carolingian And Rejects Arguments For An 11th-12th-century Date By Way Of An Evaluation Of Extant Ms. Evidence. The Book Highlights Berengaudus' Optimism About The Promised New World Of Apoc. 21-22. The Commentary's 11th-12th-century Popularity Coincided With The Rebuilding Of Churches And The Author Proposes A New Interpretation Of Romanesque Revelation Iconography In Western France. In Addition, The Application Of Berengaudus' Vision To The Ghent Altarpiece Permits A Coherent Reading Of Its Iconology That Serves As A Corrective On Recent Studies. Title Page 3 Copyright Page 4 Dedication 5 Table of Contents 7 List of Illustrations 10 Acknowledgments 31 Introduction 32 The Scope of This Study 32 Revelation and Apocalyptic Visions of the End 33 The Enigma of Berengaudus of Ferrières 34 The Organization of This Study 35 Notes 37 PART I: QUODLIBETALES IN BERENGAUDUM 42 Chapter One: The Fortunes of Berengaudus in the Later Middle Ages 43 The Manuscript Evidence 43 Attributions 45 The Distribution of Berengaudus Manuscripts 49 Berengaudus in Anglo-Norman Illuminated Manuscripts 51 Berengaudus and Twelfth-Century Apocalypse Commentators 54 Conclusion 56 Notes 58 Chapter Two: Berengaudus and his Sources 75 Problems of Approach 75 Ninth Century Concerns 78 Predestination 79 Mary's Perpetual Virginity 82 Canticles, Revelation and Berengaudus' Use of John 3:29 83 The Temple of 1 Cor. 3 86 The Eras of Salvation History 88 The Unity of the Old and New Testaments 92 Conclusion 94 Notes 96 Chapter Three: Who was Berengaudus? 118 Circumstantial Evidence 118 The Bernegaudus of Lupus of Ferrières 119 What Can be in a Name 122 Conclusion 124 Notes 126 Chapter Four: The Originality of Berengaudus 135 The Historical Context 135 The Antecedents of Berengaudus' Optimism 136 The Horses of Apocalypse 6 141 Conclusion 143 Notes 145 PART II: APOCALYPSE AS UTOPIAN EXPECTATION: THE ARTISTIC EVIDENCE OF THE LATER MIDDLE AGES 154 Chapter Five: Revelations From the Road to Compostella 155 The White Mantle of Churches in Western France 155 The Year 1000 157 Revelation and the Beginning of Romanesque Iconology 159 And a "Good" Time Was Had by Many 165 Notes 169 Chapter Six: Berengaudus, Jan Van Eyck and Fifteenth Century Mysticism 183 The Theology of the Ghent Altarpiece 183 "Mystic Marriage" as the Sacra Converzatione of Philippians 3:20 188 The Marriage of the Lamb: Pre-Reformation Survivals 193 Notes 196 Conclusion 212 Appendix I: Comparison of Commentaries on Revelation 2:17; 12:1 and 21:1 216 Appendix II: Description of Extant Expositio Manuscripts 231 Appendix III: The Rider on the Pale Horse 245 Bibliography 247 Subject Index 259 Index of Names 265 Studies in the History of Christian Thought 271 This study relates the utopian expectation of (early) medieval Apocalypse commentaries to exegesis and liturgy as well as to (later) medieval art. It provides a first-time ever discussion of the commentary by Berengaudus of Ferrières, establishes him as a Carolingian and rejects arguments for an 11th-12th-century date by way of an evaluation of extant ms. evidence. The book highlights Berengaudus' optimism about the promised new world of Apoc. 21-22. The commentary's 11th-12th-century popularity coincided with the rebuilding of churches and the author proposes a new interpretation of Romanesque Revelation iconography in Western France. In addition, the application of Berengaudus' vision to the Ghent Altarpiece permits a coherent reading of its iconology that serves as a corrective on recent studies This study identifies Berengaudus of Ferrières as a Carolingian whose Apocalypse commentary accentuated the utopianism of early Medieval exegetes. It suggests that the commentary's popularity may provide a new reading for the eschatological Romanesque iconography of Western France as well as for Van Eyck's Adoration of the Lamb. This study identifies Berengaudus of Ferrieres as a Carolingian whose Apocalypse commentary accentuated the utopianism of early Medieval exegetes. It suggests that the commentary's popularity may provide a new reading for the eschatological Romanesque iconography of Western France as well as for Van Eyck's Adoration of the Lamb.