The Franciscan Apocalyptic Imagination in the Middle Ages

The Franciscan movement occupies a singular place in the religious imagination of the Middle Ages. Born from the charismatic witness of Francis of Assisi and shaped by the rapid institutionalization of his followers, it became not only a major mendicant order but also a crucible for some of the most daring and influential apocalyptic speculation of the medieval West. This book investigates how and why the Franciscan tradition became so deeply entangled with apocalyptic thought, tracing the evolution of that relationship from the early thirteenth century through the late Middle Ages. Its purpose is to offer a comprehensive account of the intellectual, spiritual, and social dynamics that allowed Franciscan spirituality to intersect so powerfully with eschatological expectation. By examining the interplay between ideals of poverty, prophetic interpretation, ecclesiastical politics, and visionary exegesis, the study aims to illuminate the broader cultural forces that made the Middle Ages an age of profound anticipation and anxiety about the end of history.