Prophecy and the Battle for Spiritual Authority, 1360–1400

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Prophecy and the Battle for Spiritual Authority, 1360–1400 is written by Frances Courtney Kneupper and published by Oxford University Press. It's available with International Standard Book Number or ISBN identification 0198940378 (ISBN 10) and 9780198940371 (ISBN 13).

The end of the fourteenth century was a time of upheaval and contested authority among the traditional institutions of medieval Europe. In response to these conditions, a number of people began to claim their own authority, as prophets speaking the word of God. They came from outside of the clerical elite and were mostly women and reformers. This book examines the battle over authority which ensued. Prophetic women and other non-elites successfully used prophecy to exert influence and to enter the corridors of power, while educated male clerics insinuated that prophecy was the product of demonic influence and therefore a hazard to the public. Surprisingly, a third faction also emerged--an international network of clerical men who wrote in support of female prophecy. This volume traces the arguments made by these three groups, the clashes that erupted, and the long-term impacts of this battle on ideas of spiritual authority.