The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 1

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: Joachim of Floris New Interpretation

With JOACHIM OF FLORIS (Flora, or Fiore) we reach the most outstanding figure among the medieval expositors of prophecy. With him we definitely come to a turning point. The old Tichonius tradition, which had held rather undisputed sway for seven hundred years, is now replaced with a completely new concept. Born near Cosenza, Italy, about 1130, Joachim became abbot of the Cistercian monastery in Corace, from 1178 to 1188, founded his own order with the approval of the pope, and died in his own monastery, San Giovanni di Fiore, in 1202. These are the incontestable facts of his life. His pilgrimage to Jerusalem and his travels to Constantinople may well have taken place, but their actuality has not been fully established, according to some. As abbot and scholar, not as politician, Joachim had close contact with three popes—Lucius III, Urban III, and Clement III—as well as with the imperial court under Henry VI. ¹ PFF1 682.4

The impetus given to prophetic interpretation by Joachim, together with the completeness and availability of his authentic writings, calls for greater adequacy of discussion and citation than is customary in this period. To Joachim, then, we now turn to understand the man, his times, and his contributions. He is important not only contemporarily, for tile new era that he introduced, but for his far-reaching influence upon exposition for centuries to come. PFF1 682.5

Picture 1: MANUSCRIPT AND PRINTED TREATISES OF JOACHIM OF FLORIS
Manuscript copy of Joachom’s Concordia (upper left); printed edition of Pseudo Joachim on Isaiah (upper right); Joachim on the Apocalypse (lower left); Joachimite treatise reflecting Joachims teachings (lower right); Joachim’s Concordia (printed), first to apply year-day principle to the 1260 days (bottom).
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