Description
Book SynopsisThe Powers of Prophecy is an original attempt to investigate the subject of medieval eschatological prophecies: how and in what circumstances they were written; how they circulated; what they told people about the future; and how they were received.
Trade ReviewThe Powers of Prophecy is one of the most spellbinding studies I have read in a long time. Lerner as usual combines his mastery of the subject, superb research skills, and an exciting writing style to bring a little-known subject to life.... This is an important book for anyone who wishes to understand better the late medieval mind, who is fascinated by popular history, and for those who study the history of eschatology. It is also a book to be enjoyed by the serious scholar as well as by the general reader as it offers stimulating insights into the human mentality.
* American Historical Review *
This volume is a delightful and somewhat amazing picture of what happened to an eschatological prophecy written about 1240 concerning the Mongol invasion of Europe. Lerner's book is of serious interest to concerned laypeople as well as to medieval historians.
* The History Teacher *
Working as a sleuth, Robert E. Lerner has discovered and linked together many hitherto unknown renditions of what he calls the 'Cedar of Lebanon Vision,' a mysterious astrological prophecy originally recorded by an anonymous hand in 1239 in Hungary.
* Speculum *
