Max-Weber-Kolleg für kultur- und sozialwissenschaftliche Studien
Steinplatz 2
99085 Erfurt
Universität Erfurt
Max-Weber-Kolleg für kultur- und sozialwissenschaftliche Studien
Postfach 90 02 21
99105 Erfurt
The Other Apocalypse, The Thought of History in Nicholas of Lyra´s Apocalypse Commentary
Nicholas of Lyra (1270-1349) is now widely recognized as one of the most distinguished theologians and one of the most refined biblical exegetes in the history of medieval thought. His Postillae were in fact the first biblical commentary to be printed and, once incorporated within the Glossa Ordinaria, they continued to be used by scholars in the following centuries, both in Catholic and Reformed circles. The documented diffusion of the voice of Nicholas, a Franciscan particularly immersed in the theological and political affairs of his time, within the subsequent seasons of thought has gradually led critics to read in the profile of this author a moment of condensation and communication of
particular importance within the history of European culture. Thus, my research intends to show how the apocalyptic thought of Nicholas of Lyra deserves to be taken in a renewed consideration both in his posture and in its historical and speculative repercussions. With this in mind, the literary precipitate towards which I´m focusing my attention is his Commentary on the Apocalypse, written in 1329 and contained in the Postilla litteralis super totam Bibliam. After a brief overview of the fundamental characteristics of the work and its context of belonging, I will therefore focus mainly on the most problematic moment of the work, namely the comment provided by the author on Revelation XX. In fact, it is precisely in this chapter that Nicholas, declaring his lack of access to the prophetic gift, declares his myopia in the face of any attempt to recompose the events surrounding him from a historical-eschatological perspective. However, I will try to demonstrate how, by broadening my
horizon on the prophetological reflection of Lyranus, the notion of prophecy does not fail at all from the image of the world in the author's perspective. On the contrary, it is again subjected to a speculative work which, if on the one hand it reflects the suspicion of the theological circuits close to John XXII regarding prophetic-visionary experiences, on the other it aims to remove the prophetic word from the claims of the apocalyptic and to relocate it adequately within a social project suited to the needs of the Church.
Max-Weber-Kolleg für kultur- und sozialwissenschaftliche Studien
Universität Erfurt
Postfach 90 02 21
99105 Erfurt
Universität Erfurt (Campus)
Nordhäuser Str. 63
99089 Erfurt
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