HIST 177H

The Apocalypse in the Christian Middle Ages

Brett Whalen

The coming of Antichrist, the conversion of the Jews to Christianity, and the final
persecution of the Church before its eternal triumph -- these are just some of the events
that medieval Christians foresaw with the approaching end of time. This course will
explore the development of Christian apocalyptic expectations and anxieties during the
European Middle Ages. Based on the Book of Revelation and other sources, Christian
intellectuals and prophets from the fifth to the fifteenth centuries speculated and
debated about the future of God's plan for his followers: Was the culmination of history
going to happen sooner or later? Could its date be accurately predicted or not? Would
there be an eschatological transformation of earthly institutions, ushering in a thousand
years of terrestrial peace before final judgment? In addition to examining the importance
of medieval apocalyptic thought for religious history, we will investigate its
connections to European political, social and cultural values. Although our focus will be
on the Middle Ages, we will also consider the persistence of apocalyptic scenarios in the
modern period, including contemporary ideas about "the Rapture" and the transformation of
the Middle East as a prelude to Armageddon.