Lucien Dabadie

Lucien is a PhD candidate in the History Department, whose research focuses on religious and social history in medieval Europe. His dissertation analyzes biblical exegesis and prophecy in France and Italy (1200-1400) to explore the late medieval concept of “popular justice” in millenarian eschatology. It argues that members of the clergy turned toward anonymous, deliberately obscure prophetic texts to express radical challenges to the established social order. Such subversive ideas remain poorly understood since they do not generally appear in medieval academic sources. Broadly speaking, his doctoral research examines how medieval theories of social order interacted with social realities–especially with popular movements and popular violence.

 

In Paris, he attended the École Normale Supérieure, specializing in Classics and receiving an MA in Cognitive Science. At the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, he completed his MA in History, investigating the messianic ideas that informed the political project of Cola di Rienzo: a popular leader from humble origins who, amidst the chaos of 14th-century Rome, dreamed to be proclaimed Emperor by the people.

 

Lucien has published on Cola di Rienzo, Franciscan prophecy, and heretical movements. Forthcoming publications include an article on the discourse to the poor in 13th-century model sermons addressed to the estates of society (Traditio, 2026) and a study of human agency in Luther (Church History, 2026).

 

Continuing research interests embrace medieval conceptions of social order and hierarchy, millenarian eschatology and prophecy, popular revolts, biblical exegesis, Joachim of Fiore and his legacy, Franciscan history, manuscript studies, the early Reformation,  Christian mysticism, and Byzantine apocalyptic texts and their Western reception.