feast of Saint Abraham, The

Book Description

Medieval Christianity harbored surprising visions of spiritual unity that challenge our understanding of religious tolerance and prophetic hope. Robert E. Lerner reveals a remarkable strain of millennial thought that imagined Jews and Christians coming together in divine harmony at the end of time.

This scholarly exploration uncovers Christian prophets who envisioned a future where "the candelabra of the Church would return to the Synagogue," and where the millennial Church would honor "Saint Abraham" and "Saint David." These visionaries rejected the exclusionary attitudes common in their era, instead foreseeing a world where Jews and Gentiles would unite for mutual spiritual benefit.

Drawing from previously unpublished manuscripts and fresh evidence, Lerner dismantles the assumption that all medieval millenarians harbored anti-Jewish sentiments. He illuminates a prophetic tradition that dared to imagine reconciliation rather than replacement, cooperation rather than conquest.

For readers interested in the evolution of religious consciousness and interfaith understanding, this work offers profound insights into how spiritual communities have envisioned unity across religious boundaries. The book provides an unexpected perspective on Western European religious history, revealing how some medieval thinkers transcended the intolerance of their time to glimpse possibilities of sacred fellowship.

This examination of forgotten prophetic voices speaks to contemporary seekers exploring themes of religious pluralism, spiritual reconciliation, and the enduring human hope for divine unity among all peoples.