Articles of DoctorIssachar RSSFri, 25 Feb 2022 15:22:07 GMTWith Augustinian theology elevated to the status of the defacto official position of the Roman Catholic Church, eschatology was downplayed in terms of an emphasized doctrine. However, that did not necessarily mean that assorted undershepherds followed this example dutifully. Rather, a number of subtle errors were introduced over the decades and centuries often from non-Biblical sources that not only undermined the credibility of the Christian faith but also resulted in a degree of social confusion and even upheaval.In popular consciousness, it is often assumed that what could be referred to as millennial madness began to pick up steam as the year 1000 approached. However, in the chapter titled “The Slumbering Apocalypse: Medieval Christianity”, Kyle argues that apocalyptic movements at this time were not so much tied to a pending date but rather often reflected concerns regarding invasions on the part of Huns, Magyars, and Muslims. Kyle writes, “...generations of medieval historians have examined a broader range of evidence. They concede that for decades before and after the year 1000, ordinary believers and some clergy feared the rise of the Antichrist. Still, there is no evidence that concerns about the Antichrist and the end time greatly increased at the time (45).” There certainly was not anything approaching the level of a mass panic. Kyle points out significant numbers of Europeans might not have even been aware of what year that it was in the same sense as a particular numerical chronology now pervades contemporary existence.Most medieval millennial madness did not transpire actually until after the year 1100, well after the turn of a new millennium. A case could be made this came about as a result of concerns regarding the expansion of Islam at the time of the Crusades. On a cautionary note, it must also be observed that popular End Times thinking during the Middle Ages often incorporated aspects found nowhere in the pages of Scripture. The most prominent of... Read more

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