Milleniarism

I am indebted to Rodney J. Dean who sent me these these notes on 13.05.2020. One argument of Dean in his workd "L´Assemblée constituante et la reforme ecclesiastique, 1790" (2014) is that de division between the oath-taking and refractory clergy could be seen in their different millenaristic expectations. (S. 44). A thought-provocing thesis, that seems to need further investigation.

Comenius, Millenarianism, and the Project of a Universal Language
The Russian studies of John Amos Comenius’ works rarely go beyond the limits of history of pedagogy. Meanwhile, the Czech thinker’s legacy is wide and multifaceted. The aim of the article is to explore a linguo-philosophic aspect of his teaching subjected to goals of global reform of the world in a context of Comenius’ eschatological views. It is shown that the aspect was developed in a form of the “universal culture of language”. Main directions of that culture and their organization according to which relatively simple and feasible projects devoted to cultivation of national as well as classic languages were subordinated to the most difficult and problematic one, namely creation of a universal, purely rational and
artificial language, are considered. The system of beliefs and presumptions underlying that ultimate scheme is analyzed: firstly, its core including epistemic and theological convictions shared by Comenius with other designers and supporters of universal language schemes, and, secondly, its periphery which comprised religious and metaphysic views distinguishing the Czech reformer’s modus cogitandi.
The research is supplemented with a translation of the chapter
XIX ‘The foundation of the Universal language’ of Comenius’ important treatise ‘The Way of Light’ (Via Lucis) (publ. 1668).

The article discusses mass millenarian and apocalyptic attitudes and expectations around Anno Domini 1000. Despite the fact that a number of written sources have painted a vivid picture of apocalyptic and millenarian sentiments, no answer has been provided to the question of the root cause of such sentiments, that is, the factors that gave rise to them on the eve of, and following, Anno Domini 1000. The author argues that the outburst of millenarian and apocalyptic moods was just " the tip of the iceberg " of the mass insecurity and fear which had been around for generations and were recorded by some chroniclers. The uncertainty and fear resulted from foreign invasions, rising anarchy and the lack of strong authority and order in most of western Europe. Therefore the question of apocalyptic sentiments can be approached not in terms of spiritual and religious attitudes only, but as a desperate outburst of fear. The author concludes that instead of the popular name " Time of The End, " the decades around 1000 AD could be defined as " Time of Fear. " The fear in question operated at both the personal and social levels and affected souls and bodies alike.

This volume is a monograph which was submitted at the University of Zimbabwe as a PhD thesis. It deals with the subject of millenarianism, a movement which the author sees as developing from biblical times. He draws lines of connection between contemporary religious movements with prophetic and apocalyptic movements in the Bible. The author presents vast toms of data on prophecy, apocalypticism and millenarianism for students and biblical scholars alike. Further, ordinary readers of the Bible will find this volume fascinating to read. There is also detailed information on the development of the two contemporary movements, namely Jehovah’s Witnesses and Johane Masowe – one of the most important African Initiated Churches in Zimbabwe.

The Author
David Bishau is Pastor-in-Charge of a United Methodist Church congregation at Old Mutare. He is a holder of a PhD (2007) from the University of Zimbabwe which he received with the present dissertation. He also holds a Diploma in Religious Studies (1989), BA Honours Religious Studies (1991) and MA Religious Studies (1993) all from the University of Zimbabwe. He taught topics like Old & New Testament Studies, Koinē Greek, Religion and Field Research at the Univer-sity of Zimbabwe as well as Africa University, Zimbabwe. The interests of Bishau include research & publication, preaching and spreading the Word, writing poems & short stories, and reading.

In historiography, the most popular thesis regarding the missions of Adalbert and Bruno is the one saying that they both went to the pagans looking for martyrdom.
They considered it as the only true culmination of Christian life and the only way to salvation. In this article, this thesis was called into question and the problem was
analyzed from a messianic perspective. The first part is devoted to the discussion of the possible apocalyptic thinking of Emperor Otto III, who seems to be the key to
understanding the actions of Bruno, and through him perhaps also of Adalbert. The next part is an attempt to respond to the title issue based on the available source material that was analyzed in the light of the conclusions of part one and by using the comparative method. The final conclusions suggest reading the actions of Adalbert of Prague and Bruno of Querfurt from an apocalyptic and historiosophical perspective.