McGinn, Bernard, ed., trans., Apocalyptic Spirituality: Treatises and Letters of Lactantius, Adso of Montier-en-Der, Joachim of Fiore, the Spiritual Franciscans, Savonarola (New York: Paulist Press, 1979).

Text name(s):

Number of pages of primary source text: 210

Medieval Author(s): Adso of Montier-en-Der Joachim of Fiore Lactantius Peter John Olivi Clareno, Angelo Savonarola, Girolamo

Dates: 270 - 1499

Archival Reference:

Original Language(s): Latin;

Translation: English translation.

Translation Comments:

Geopolitical Region(s): France; Italy;

County/Region:

Apparatus: Index Bibliography Introduction

Comments:

Throughout the Middle Ages, prophecies of the Apocalypse captured the minds of the faithful and were often bound up with impulses to reform the church. This volume contains excerpts from a number of apocalyptic texts, including those by the early Christian poet Lactantius, the Cluniac abbot Adso of Montier-en-Der; the heretical Franciscan abbot Joachim of Fiore; Angelo of Clareno and Peter John Olivi, heretical Spiritual Franciscans, and Girolamo Savonarola, heretic and dictator of Florence during the last years of the fifteenth century. Additionally, each selection is preceded by a brief historical and thematic introduction.

Introduction Summary:

The editor’s brief ( 16 pp) introduction notes that the purpose of the volume is to explore the way in which apocalyptic beliefs affected the lives of their adherents, and not necessarily to sketch the outlines of apocalyptic theology proper. The editor provides a discussion of apocalypticism and millenarianism and their overtones of terror and consolation, and the relationship between time and eternity.

Cataloger: MCB