The Empire At The End Of Time: Identity And Reform In Late Medieval German Prophecy University Press Scholarship Online

In this book, Frances Courtney Kneupper examines the apocalyptic prophecies of the late medieval Empire, which even within the sensational genre of eschatological prophecy stand out for their bitter and violent nature. In addition to depicting the savage chastisement of the clergy and the forcible restructuring of the Church, these prophecies also infuse the apocalyptic narrative with explicitly German elements-in fact, German speakers are frequently cast as the agents of these stirring events in which the clergy suffer tribulations and the Church hierarchy is torn down. These prophecies were widely circulated throughout late medieval German-speaking Europe. Kneupper explores their significance for members of the Empire from 1380 to 1480, arguing that increased literacy, the development of strong urban centers, the drive for reform, and a connection to the imperial crown were behind their popularity. Offering detailed accounts of the most significant prophecies, Kneupper shows how they fit into currents of thought and sentiment in the late medieval Empire. In particular, she considers the relationships of German prophecy to contemporary discourses on Church reform and political identity. She finds that eschatological thought was considered neither marginal nor heretical, but was embraced by a significant, orthodox population of German laypeople and clerics, demonstrating the importance of popular eschatological thought to the development of a self-conscious, reform-minded, German-identified Empire on the Eve of the Reformation. Even Within The Sensational Genre Of Eschatological Prophecy, The Prophecies Of The Late Medieval Empire Stand Out As Strikingly Bitter And Violent Texts. They Foresee The Savage Chastisement Of The Clergy, The Murder Of Clerics, And The Forceful Restructuring Of The Church. But They Also Infuse The Apocalyptic Narrative With Explicitly German Elements. German Speakers Are Frequently Cast As The Agents Of These Stirring Events, In Which The Clergy Suffer Tribulations And The Church Hierarchy Is Torn Down. Thus The Central Argument Of This Book Is That Popular German Prophecies Encouraged A Vision Of Members Of The Empire As The Ordained Reformers Of Christendom At The End Of Time. Context -- Audience And Reception -- Individual Prophecies Of Late Medieval German-speaking Europe -- The Gamaleon Prophecy -- The Letter Of Brother Sigwalt -- The Auffahrt Abend Prophecy -- The Wirsberger Letters -- Themes In Late Medieval German Prophecy -- The Church And Clergy In Prophetic Thought -- German Identity In Prophetic Thought. Frances Courtney Kneupper. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Content: Cover The Empire at the End of Time Copyright Dedication Contents Preface Acknowledgments Introduction part i Context Chapter 1 Audience and Reception Part II Individual Prophecies of Late Medieval German-​Speaking Europe Chapter 2 The Gamaleon Prophecy Chapter 3 The Letter of Brother Sigwalt Chapter 4 The Auffahrt Abend Prophecy Chapter 5 The Wirsberger Letters Part III Themes in Late Medieval German Prophecy Chapter 6 The Church and Clergy in Prophetic Thought Chapter 7 German Identity in Prophetic Thought Conclusion Appendix A: Original Eschatological Prophecies of Late Medieval Upper-​German-​Speaking EuropeAppendix B: Eschatological Prophecies Circulating in Late Medieval Upper-​German-​Speaking Europe Composed in Previous Centuries or Other Regions Appendix C: Manuscripts Containing Original or Adapted Prophetic Material in Late Medieval Upper-​German-​Speaking Europe Bibliography Index In The Empire at the End of Time, Frances Courtney Kneupper introduces popular eschatological prophecies of the late medieval Empire.