ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the definition of prophetic or apocalyptic authority used in this book: claims to interpret, know, and communicate the will of God as a divinely authorized means to speak truth to those in power, to impose meaning onto the chaotic natural world, and to pass judgement on human affairs. Further, this chapter explores how various scholars have approached these revelatory claims and interpreted them, as well as their function in transforming Carolingian political discourse. Using several examples of prophetic rhetoric employed during the reigns of Charlemagne (d. 814) and Louis the Pious (d. 840), this chapter establishes the fluid categories that constitute prophetic or apocalyptic authority and their attendant claims of divine revelation. Prophecy functioned as a powerful element within the collaborative efforts that defined Carolingian political discourse during this period, and this chapter sets out the parameters of this argument, explores the most relevant scholarship to the context, and surveys the remainder of the book.
