Historical Interpretations of the "Fifth Empire"

The Dynamics of Periodization from Daniel to António Vieira, S.J.
Erscheinungsjahr 2010
ISBN: 978-90-04-19192-1
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 149, 348 Seiten, Format (B × H): 160 mm x 240 mm, Gewicht: 736 g

Reihe: Studies in the History of Christian Traditions

How may a 17th century theory about the Fifth Empire and the succession of empires be so similar to the 2nd century BCE theory introduced by the Book of Daniel? How was this possible in the works of António Vieira, S.J., (1608-1697), and particularly in his famous manuscript, the Clavis Prophetarum - De Regno Christi In Terris Consummato?
This book analyzes the history of the interpretation of concepts such as Fifth Empire and succession of ages from as early as the 2nd century B.C. until the 17th century.
Influenced by the main intellectual and religious tendencies of the 17th century, Vieira’s interpretation has revealed itself to be original in the way that it introduces a new reading/interpretation of the succession of historical periods. The Jesuit also identifies the antichrist and the Last Emperor with historical characters of his time.

Zielgruppe

All those interested in religious history, the history of the apocalyptic literature, the history of Portugal and of the Iberian world, and in the history of the Portuguese Jesuits.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Valdez, Ana

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Alte Geschichte & Archäologie Geschichte der klassischen Antike
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtswissenschaft Allgemein Historiographie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Table of Illustrations
List of Abbreviations
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
A. The Role of History in Christian Thought
1. The “End of Time”
2. Historical Periodization: The Concepts
B. The Present Study
1. The Purpose
2. The Sources
2.1. The Historical Context
2.2. António Vieira and the Clavis prophetarum
3. The Problem
4. The Approach
C. The History of the Research
Part I – The Biblical Sources
Chapter One – The Four Empires
A. Daniel
B. Hesiod’s Influence in Daniel
Chapter Two – The Seventy Weeks
A. Enoch, One of the Sources Behind Daniel
1. The Apocalypse of Weeks
B. Daniel and Jeremiah’s Prophecy of the 70 Years
Chapter Three – The Millennium
A. Paul and the Two “Aeons”
1. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28
B. The Book of Revelation
1. Revelation 20-22
2. The Millennium
3. The Eschatological Opponent
4. Final Judgement (20:11-15)
5. The New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-22:5)
C. Ages and/or Periods of History in Revelation?
Part II – The Exegetical Tradition
Chapter Four – Flavius Josephus
Chapter Five – Hippolytus and the 6000-Year Chronology
Chapter Six – St Jerome’s Commentary on Daniel
A. The Four Empires
B. The Seventy Weeks
Chapter Seven – St Augustine’s Two Cities
A. Rome, or the New Babylon
B. Jerusalem: The City of God
Chapter Eight – Joachim of Fiore: From the “tatus to the “Last Emperor”
A. Joachim’s Aetates and Status
B. The Last Emperor Myth
Part III – António Vieira, S.J., and the Clavis prophetarum
Chapter Nine – Eschatology in António Vieira’s Previous Works
A. Esperanças de Portugal – “Hopes of Portugal” (1659)
B. História do futuro – “History of the Future”
Chapter Ten – Clavis prophetarum or De regno Christii in terris consummato
A. The Content and the Background of this Work
B. The Edited Book III of the Clavis prophetarum
Chapter Eleven – The Fifth Empire
A. The Nature of the Kingdom
B. When and Where?
Chapter Twelve – Universal Evangelization, Toleration, and Ecumenism?
Conclusion
Bibliography
index

Table of Figures

Figure 1 – Comparative Chronologies
Figure 2 – The Three Status, CCC Ms. 255A, f. 7 v.
Figure 3 – The Alpha and the Omega, CCC Ms. 255A, f. 8 r.
Figure 4 – The Tree and the Three Ages, CCC Ms. 255A, f. 12 v.
Figure 5 – Identification of the antichrist
Figure 6 – The year of the antichrist

Über Autor(innen)

Ana Valdez, Ph.D. (2008) in History, University of Lisbon, Portugal, is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University. She has published widely on António Vieira and on religious tolerance between Portuguese Jesuits and Sephardic Jews in the late 17th century.