📖 Biblical Definition
Twelfth-century apocalyptic-historical theology founded by Joachim of Fiore (c. 1135-1202), Cistercian abbot in Calabria, Italy. Joachim was a Cistercian monk who developed a substantively new periodization of redemptive history through his contemplative study of Scripture (particularly the Apocalypse / Revelation and the major prophets). His principal contribution is the three-age (three-status) periodization of history: (1) Age of the Father (the Old Testament dispensation, characterized by law, fear, and married laity); (2) Age of the Son (the NT and church-historical dispensation from Christ to approximately 1260, characterized by gospel, faith, and clerical leadership); (3) Age of the Spirit (the imminent new age of contemplative-monastic perfection, characterized by direct Spirit-led freedom and the supersession of clerical hierarchy by a new spiritual order of monks). The doctrine was substantive in its claim that the present (clerical-hierarchical) church order would be superseded by a future spiritualized-monastic order, with implications for the legitimacy of the existing institutional church. Joachim himself died in 1202 in good standing with Rome; his doctrines were posthumously controverted. The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) explicitly condemned Joachim's Trinitarian theology (which had attempted to use the three-age scheme to articulate the Trinitarian relations); the Council of Arles (1263) condemned the broader apocalyptic-historical positions associated with the Spiritual Franciscans (who had appropriated Joachim's three-age scheme to themselves as the new spiritual order). Joachimist patterns recurred substantially throughout subsequent history: medieval Spiritual Franciscans; various millenarian movements; the Anabaptist Münster apocalypse (1534-1535); various modern dispensationalist and progressive-theological successivisms. The patriarchal-Reformed reader engages Joachimism as one of the most consequential medieval heresies and as the underlying pattern of the recurring three-age successivist heresies throughout subsequent history.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Twelfth-century apocalyptic-historical theology of Joachim of Fiore (c. 1135-1202); three-age periodization (Father / Son / Spirit); condemned Lateran IV 1215, Arles 1263; recurs in subsequent millenarian and successivist movements.
expand to see more
JOACHIMISM, n. (medieval theological-historical heresy; founded by Joachim of Fiore, c. 1135-1202, Cistercian abbot in Calabria, Italy) Three-age (three-status) periodization of history: (1) Age of the Father (OT, law/fear/married laity); (2) Age of the Son (NT and church history to c. 1260, gospel/faith/clerical leadership); (3) Age of the Spirit (imminent new age of contemplative-monastic perfection, direct Spirit-led freedom, supersession of clerical hierarchy by new spiritual monastic order). Joachim died 1202 in good standing with Rome; doctrines posthumously controverted. Fourth Lateran Council 1215 explicitly condemned Joachim's Trinitarian theology; Council of Arles 1263 condemned broader apocalyptic positions of Spiritual Franciscans who had appropriated three-age scheme. Patterns recurred: Spiritual Franciscans; millenarian movements; Anabaptist Münster 1534-1535; modern dispensationalist and progressive-theological successivisms.
📖 Key Scripture
Hebrews 1:1-2 — "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things."
Hebrews 13:8 — "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
Jude 1:3 — "Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."
2 Peter 3:3-4 — "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Joachimism: three-age periodization of history with imminent Age of the Spirit superseding NT-era church; condemned 1215 and 1263; recurs in subsequent successivist heresies.
expand to see more
Joachimism's substantive corruption is the doctrine of an imminent new Age of the Spirit that supersedes the present NT-era dispensation. The orthodox position holds that the present NT dispensation is the final dispensation before the eschatological consummation; there is no intermediate Age of the Spirit that supersedes the institutional church established by Christ and the apostles; the church-historical period extends from Pentecost to the Parousia without an intermediate stage of contemplative-monastic perfection. Joachimist patterns recur substantially throughout subsequent history with various theological-cultural specificities: the medieval Spiritual Franciscans (claiming themselves as the new spiritual order); the Anabaptist Münster apocalypse (1534-1535, claiming the imminent millennial kingdom); the various nineteenth-century Adventist and end-times movements; the dispensationalist tradition (with its multiple-dispensation periodization, though the conservative dispensationalist tradition is not directly Joachimist); the progressive-theological visions of an emerging post-evangelical / post-Christian dispensation. The patriarchal-Reformed reader engages Joachimism as the underlying pattern of these recurring successivist heresies and maintains the substantive orthodox position: the NT dispensation is the final dispensation before the consummation; there is no intermediate Age.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Joachim of Fiore c. 1135-1202; three-age periodization; condemned Lateran IV 1215, Arles 1263; recurs in successivist movements.
expand to see more
['Latin', '—', 'Ioachim de Floris', 'Joachim of Fiore (Latin name)']
['Latin', '—', 'tres status', 'three states (the three-age scheme)']
['Latin', '—', 'Spirituales', 'Spiritual Franciscans']
Usage
"Joachimism: 12th-c. three-age periodization of history (Father / Son / Spirit)."
"Joachim of Fiore (c. 1135-1202); condemned Lateran IV 1215 and Arles 1263."
"Pattern recurs in subsequent successivist heresies (Spiritual Franciscans, Münster, various millenarianisms)."