Profezia e ragione. Enrico di Langenstein contro Telesforo da Cosenza

The contribution addresses the complex question of the relationship between theoretical reflection on prophecy and the concrete circulation of prophetic texts through a case-study: the treatise of the German theologian Henry of Langenstein (1392) against the prophetic Libellus on the Great Schism attributed to the mysterious Telesphorus of Cosenza (c. 1386). Telesphorus’ Libellus was very popular since the early years of the Schism. Henry of Langenstein’s intervention is interesting not only for his intention to unmask Telesphorus’ pro-French political perspective, but also for the arguments proposed by the German theologian, which provide a series of sharp observations on the ambiguity of prophetic language, on its emotional dimension (in particular with respect to the use of images), and on the cognitive dynamics underlying post-eventum or self-fulfilling prophecies. The contribution provides as well a list of the 67 known manuscripts of Telesphorus’ work.