Millenarism in the prophetical works of Father Antonio Vieira

Abstract

The prophetical thought of Father Antonio Vieira (1608-1697) has been studied by several scholars. However, its millenarian influence, mainly through the work of Joachim de Fiore (c. 1135-1202), is still a subject of interest, not yet completely investigated. Thus, this article aims at analyzing the presence of the Joachite tradition in Vieira’s conception of the ‘Fifth Empire’. Therefore, an indirect presence of the ideas of the Calabrian abbot in the works of the Portuguese priest is highlighted, which is due to the Portuguese popular culture of that time and to late followers of Joachim, who, after disseminating the abbot’s ideas in many different ways, would reach Vieira specially through biblical commentaries.