Apocalypse Now. Connected Histories of Eschatological Movements from Moscow to Cusco, 15th-18th Centuries

0563530 - FLÚ 2023 RIV GB eng M - Monography Chapter
Pjecha, Martin
Táborite Revolutionary Apocalypticism. Mapping Influences and Divergences.
Apocalypse Now. Connected Histories of Eschatological Movements from Moscow to Cusco, 15th-18th Centuries. London: Routledge, 2023 - (Tricoire, D.; Laborie, L.), s. 31-59. ISBN 978-0-367-53234-5
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GX19-28415X
Institutional support: RVO:67985955
Keywords : Hussites * religion * heresy * apocalypse * revolution
OECD category: Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003081050-3

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”, a term I employ to designate 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 meaning-structure for Táborites, but it is not at all clear why it would lead to revolutionary action, when it did not before them. This chapter traces the supposed and possible influences of various streams of thought on the Táborites in historiography and history. Historians have previously cited 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 I will highlight these allures and problems. In addition, though, I would like to draw 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.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0336406