The influence of prophecy in the later Middle Ages : a study in Joachimism

Since the original publication of this title, the twelfth-century Calabrian Abbot Joachim of Fiore has been accorded an increasingly central position in the history of medieval thought and culture. In this classic work Marjorie Reeves shows the wide extent of Joachimist influence from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries and demonstrates the continuity between medieval and Renaissance thought in the field of prophecy. Reeves pinpoints some of the most original aspects of Joachim's theology of history and traces his reputation and influence through succeeding centuries. She also explains how his vision of a final age of the Spirit in history became a powerful force in shaping expectations of the future in Western Europe. The book traces in detail the development of the three great images in which these expectations came to be focused: New Spiritual Men, Angelic Pope, and Last World Emperor. In addition, Reeves illuminates how the pervading influence of Joachim's concepts of a future golden age forms the basis for an understanding of prophetic visions in later centuries. In light of the current expansion of Joachimist and millenarian studies, medieval scholars and students will appreciate the renewed availability of this volume and the addition of a new annotated bibliography of material published on Joachimism between 1969 and 1992. Joachim of Fiore proclaimed a philosophy of history which exercised a powerful influence in succeeding centuries. This book traces the influence of his prophecies concerning a "Third Age of the Spirit" to come, as later expressed in the themes of "New Spiritual Men", "Last World Emperor", "Angelic Pope", and "Renovatio Mundi". It shows that these ideas were not only the mainspring of various heterodox groups, but also engaged the attention of certain church leaders, university scholars, Renaissance thinkers, Protestant theologians, and political rulers down to the seventeenth century Frontmatter (page N/A) PREFACE (page vii) NOTE ON REFERENCES (page xi) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (page xi) ABBREVIATIONS (page xiii) PART ONE THE REPUTATION OF THE ABBOT JOACHIM (page 1) PART TWO NEW SPIRITUAL MEN (page 133) PART THREE ANTICHRIST AND LAST WORLD EMPEROR (page 293) PART FOUR ANGELIC POPE AND RENOVATIO MUNDI (page 393) APPENDICES (page 509) SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY (page 541) INDEX OF MANUSCRIPTS (page 547) GENERAL INDEX (page 550) Shows the extent of the influence of the 12th-century Calabrian Abbot, Joachim of Fiore, from the 13th to the 16th centuries and demonstrates the continuity between medieval and Renaissance thought in the field of prophecy. The author pinpoints the most original aspects of his theology.