Christian missions beyond Islam were framed as end-times prophecy fulfillment
Evidence
These missions were from the outset seen as playing a key role in the scenario of the final days. One of the traditional signs of the end of the world was the preaching of the Word of God to all non-Christians, unto the ends of the earth; this would result in the massive conversion of pagans, and then Jews, to Christianity. In 1239 Gregory IX issued the bull Cum hora undecima, which underlined the apocalyptic importance of the Franciscan mission: Since the eleventh hour has come in the day given to mankind . — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 1128
Categorization
Category: Causal Relationships
- XREF: Connects to the reader’s broader interests in medieval apocalypticism and how religious institutions operationalize eschatology.