The Mongol irruption forced Christians to choose between two apocalyptic readings of them
Evidence
Why should God will the Christians to lose to the Saracen āinļ¬delsā? The situation was further confused by the irruption onto the world scene of the Mongols: a fearful invader to be identiļ¬ed with the Apocalypseās barbaric peoples Gog and Magog? Or a God-sent ally ready to convert to Christianity and to help vanquish the Muslim enemy? ā John V. Tolan, Saracens, 1003
Categorization
- XREF: The Gog-and-Magog vs. ally dilemma is a case of cognitive framing under threat; connects with how unfamiliar actors get forced into an existing eschatological script.
- QUESTION: Worth chasing: how did competing readings of the Mongols (antichrist horde vs. potential Christian ally) shape actual diplomatic choices in the thirteenth century?