ABSTRACT
The radical Hussite dissidents (so-called Táborites) appear unique in Latin Christendom, when looked at from the perspective of the history of political thought; they seem to be the first “revolutionaries”, if we mean by that term a community which takes upon itself the task to achieve an absolute annihilation of the world order via violence to achieve a new, radically-altered worldly reality. Apocalypticism was obviously a very potent source of inspiration for Táborites, but it is not at all clear why it would lead to revolutionary action, when it did not before them.
This chapter, therefore, will trace the supposed and possible influences of various streams of thought on the Táborites. Historians have previously suspected influence from virtually all extant contemporary heterodox movements, including the Waldensians, Free-Spirit, Lollards, and Joachites. While some such arguments may be tempting, they are also problematic in various ways, and this chapter highlights these allures and problems. In addition, though, this chapter draws attention to influences from less-heterodox and even orthodox, non-apocalyptic ideas which can be traced back to early Christianity, including mysticism, Christian neo-Platonism and Augustinianism.
