Hans-Christian Lehner – författare

Two opposing views of the future in the Middle Ages dominate recent historical scholarship. According to one opinion, medieval societies were expecting the near end of the world and therefore had no concept of the future. According to the other opinion, the expectation of the near end created a drive to change the world for the better and thus for innovation. Close inspection of the history of prognostication reveals the continuous attempts and multifold methods to recognize and interpret God’s will, the prodigies of nature, and the patterns of time. That proves, on the one hand, the constant human uncertainty facing the contingencies of the future. On the other hand, it demonstrates the firm believe during the Middle Ages in a future which could be shaped and even manipulated. The handbook provides the first overview of current historical research on medieval prognostication. It considers the entangled influences and transmissions between Christian, Jewish, Islamic, and non-monotheistic societies during the period from a wide range of perspectives. An international team of 63 renowned authors from about a dozen different academic disciplines contributed to this comprehensive overview.

Two opposing views of the future in the Middle Ages dominate recent historical scholarship. According to one opinion, medieval societies were expecting the near end of the world and therefore had no concept of the future. According to the other opinion, the expectation of the near end created a drive to change the world for the better and thus for innovation. Close inspection of the history of prognostication reveals the continuous attempts and multifold methods to recognize and interpret God’s will, the prodigies of nature, and the patterns of time. That proves, on the one hand, the constant human uncertainty facing the contingencies of the future. On the other hand, it demonstrates the firm believe during the Middle Ages in a future which could be shaped and even manipulated. The handbook provides the first overview of current historical research on medieval prognostication. It considers the entangled influences and transmissions between Christian, Jewish, Islamic, and non-monotheistic societies during the period from a wide range of perspectives. An international team of 63 renowned authors from about a dozen different academic disciplines contributed to this comprehensive overview.

Prognostik, Divination, Mantik und Wahrsagerei sind im mittelalterlichen Recht vielfach gegenwärtig. Doch rechtfertigt die Gegenwart dieser Thematik in den Rechtsquellen einen Rückschluss auf die Praxis? Reagierten die einzelnen Texte tatsächlich auf jeweils zeitgenössische Praktiken oder wurde vielleicht nur älteres Traditionsgut aus rechtssystematischen Gründen immer wieder fortgeschrieben? Von der Beantwortung dieser Frage hängt auch ab, welchen Stellenwert die prognostischen Praktiken in der Lebenswelt besaßen. In diesem Band analysieren ausgewiesene Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler nicht nur, in welcher Varianz und in welcher Kontinuität die Thematik der Prognostik in Rechtstexten des frühen und hohen Mittelalters erscheint, sondern fragen auch nach Überlieferung und Sitz im Leben. Zu den untersuchten Quellen gehören Sammlungen kirchlichen und weltlichen Rechts, Bußbücher sowie päpstliche Schreiben.

In times of crises, be it about climate change, the pandemic corona virus, or democratic struggles, there is an unwaning interest worldwide in the end of times and related themes such as apocalypticism, messianism, and utopianism. This concerns scholarship and society alike, and is by no means limited to the religious field.The present volume collates essays from specialists in the study of apocalyptic and eschatological subjects. With its interdisciplinary approach, it is designed to overcome the existing Euro-centrism and incorporate a broader perspective to the topic of end time expectations in the Christian Middle Ages as well as in East Asia and Africa.Contributors include: Gaelle Bosseman, Wolfram Brandes, Matthias Gebauer, Jürgen Gebhardt, Vincent Goossaert, Klaus Herbers, Matthias Kaup, Bernardo Bertholin Kerr, Thomas Krümpel, Richard Landes, Zhao Lu, Rolf Scheuermann, and Julia Eva Wannenmacher.