Apocalypse as Utopian Expectation (800-1500): The Apocalypse Commentary of Berengaudus of Ferrieres and the Relationship between Exegesis, Liturgy and Iconography

This study relates the utopian expectation of (early) medieval Apocalypse commentaries to exegesis and liturgy as well as to (later) medieval art. It provides a first-time ever discussion of the commentary by Berengaudus of Ferrieres, establishes him as a Carolingian and rejects arguments for an 11th-12th-century date by way of an evaluation of extant ms. evidence. The book highlights Berengaudus' optimism about the promised new world of Apoc. 21-22. The commentary's 11th-12th-century popularity coincided with the rebuilding of churches and the author proposes a new interpretation of Romanesque Revelation iconography in Western France. In addition, the application of Berengaudus' vision to the Ghent Altarpiece permits a coherent reading of its iconology that serves as a corrective on recent studies.