Joachim of Fiore
By Toby Affleck
Access History, Vol. 1:1 (1997)
Introduction: The twelfth century monastic theologian Joachim of Fiore (1135-1202) holds an important place in the progression of the linear Christian theory of time, through his reinvention of a numeric plan for history, and the widespread diffusion of his interpretations of the Apocalypse with their extreme consequences for the medieval Church. Joachim, held as both magnus propheta and heretic, contested the existing Catholic faith by proposing a new conclusion to history that effectively challenged the clerical dominance of the ecclesiastical body as well as bringing forward the dire implications of the rise to power of the Anti-Christ; issues that turned extreme ascetism into condemned dissent. It is with this in mind that it becomes relevant to examine the fundamental theories of Joachim’s interpretation of the past, his vision for the future, and its implication for the future direction of Christendom. What were the principles upon which his biblical commentaries were laid? In doing so, this paper examines the allegorical reading of Scriptures, in particular that of Revelation, as well as Joachim’s belief in the significance of “spiritual numerology” and the critical importance of his Doctrine of the Trinity.
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