Medieval Futures: Attitudes to the Future in the Medieval Ages

by Burrow, J. A.; Burrow, J. A.; Wei, Ian P.

• ISBN13: 9780807615034
• ISBN10: 080761503X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-01-01
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc

Summary

Medieval Futures explores the rich variety of ways in which medieval people imagined the future, from the prophetic anticipation of the end of the world to the mundane expectation that the world would continue indefinitely, permitting ordinary human plans and provisions. Different conceptions of the future are shown to relate to different social groups and the emergence of new mentalities, suggesting that changing conceptions of the future were related to general shifts in medieval culture.

Part I, "Thinking about the Future, " examines explicit references to and discussions of the future.

Part II, "Prophesying Futures, " is concerned with different treatments of prophecy.

Part III, "Providing for Futures, " looks at the ways in which medieval people tried to dictate what would happen in the future and at the problems that they encountered.

Most work on medieval attitudes has been concerned with the prophetic and the eschatological. These essays illuminate a wider range of beliefs and attitudes and seek to understand the relationship between belief and