2017021028 Toncel Camila

The Pursuit of the Millennium

Millenarianism (also millenarism), from Latin mīllēnārius "containing a thousand", is the belief
by a religious, social, or political group or movement in a coming major transformation of
society, after which all things will be changed. Millenarianism exists in many cultures and
religions.
Millennialism is a specific type of Christian millenarianism, and is sometimes referred to as
"chiliasm" from the New Testament use of the Greek chilia (thousand). It is part of the
broader form of apocalyptic expectation. A core doctrine in some variations of Christian
eschatology is the expectation that the Second Coming is very near and that there will be an
establishment of a Kingdom of God on Earth. According to an interpretation of prophecies in
the Book of Revelation, this Kingdom of God on Earth will last a thousand years (a
millennium) or more.
This belief expressed itself in several movements throughout the Middle Age. Now, there
were some catalyzers for these movements to take place, some factors needed to meet, and
were common to all of them. I will talk briefly about those conditions..

1. Background of establishment-backed inequality.

The Peasants’ revolt in England, the Taborites in Bohemia, The Munster Siege in Germany
appeared as a result of the rampant inequality of the time.
Peasants lived in better conditions than before due to the lack of manpower but still they
were not satisfied with the caste system. In the past, lords offered a paternal protection to
peasants in exchange for their service, that tradition had ended and the peasants had only
duties not rights. Taborites felt overwhelmed by the corruption of the church in Bohemia,
were half of the territory belonged to the clergy.
There was a general repudiation to the religious classes and sins proper to the rich as
Avaritia and Luxuria were referred as deadly sins.

2. Social upheaval

In England, the population was suffering from the consequences of the Black Death, heavy
taxations derived from the French War. The rebels sought a reduction in taxation, an end to
the system of unfree labour known as serfdom and the removal of the King's senior officials and
law courts.
In Bohemia, we can observe a feeling of nationalism against the clergy and guilds that were
partially constituted by German people. The fact that most of the prosperous merchants in
the towns were not only staunch Catholics but were also Germans, the widespread though
erroneous belief that feudalism and serfdom were peculiarly German institutions.
In Germany, we can refer to the rise of Lutheranism, and its neglection of the popular
classes, as a motivation to reorganise a long existed social movement, the anabaptism
 3. Equating the perceived utopian past "when adam delved and Eve span, who
then was the gentleman" increasingly with the return of a future messiah and
the end times. The community who were faithful would be saved

The religious axis of the movements aspired to a fundamental state of community, in order to
ensure salvation we needed to prepare for the Second Coming, and start creating a heavenly
realm on Earth. A realm without pain but most importantly without any institutions such as
the sacraments or a church.

4. Total breakdown of social hierarchies and the concept of possession.

Material possessions were redistributed from the rich as sinful and in extreme cases,
polygamy or open sexual relations became the norm. Even the possession of a wife was
seen as too material. We have the concept of a total community, where there was not
“yours” or “mine”. These ideals attracted people who were very poor and detached from
society.

5. Presence of a social underclass.

Usually vagrants or urban poor. These movements were less successful in recruiting
people tightly integrated into society like villages or city guilds.

Revolutionary millenarianism drew its strength from a population living on the margin of
society - peasants without land or with too little land even for subsistence; journeymen and
unskilled workers living under the continuous threat of unemployment; beggars and
vagabonds - in fact from the amorphous mass of people who were not simply poor but who
could find no assured and recognized place in society at all.

6. Presence of a charismatic leader: John Ball, Jan of Leiden, Thomas Muntzer.

Usually from educated class, but not a close part of the established elites. They saw themselves
as prophets, owners of the truth. It was a combination of histrionic character, leadership and
performance skills, a mind fed by apo calyptical phantasies and usually a hidden agenda that
followed personal motivations.

7. Method of diffusion: pamphlets, leaflets, propaganda, visions, parabola.

Even though the press was introdu ced long before to Europe, it was a decisive media for
these movements. Pamphlets and leaflets travel across town and got in the hands of the
common people. Heavy propaganda was used from every side. It is also important than the
preachers usually accommodated symbolic language to get through the people, they
claimed to have visions, or interpret a parable to then use it to justify their actions.