In his classic book, The Pursuit of the Millennium, British historian Norman Cohn attempts to account for the rise of apocalyptic movements in the Middle Ages. He contends that “revolutionary millenarianism drew its strength from a population living on the margin of society”—peasants, journeymen, and unskilled workers. Such people “lacked the material and emotional support afforded by traditional social groups.” Because they were in a defenseless position, they reacted “sharply to any disruption