The Antichrist and the "trewe men": Lollard apocalypticism in late medieval and Early Modern England

354 Pages·1993·17.09 MB·English

by  Curtis Van Bostick

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The Antichrist and the “trewe men”: Lollard apocalypticism in
late medieval and Early Modern England
Bostick, Curtis Van, Ph.D.
The University of Arizona, 1993
Copyright ©1993 by Bostick, Curtis Van. All rights reserved.
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THE ANTICHRIST AND THE "TREWE MEN".
LOLLARD APOCALYPTICISM IN LATE
MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN ENGLAND
by
Curtis Van Bostick
Copyright c Curtis Van Bostick 1993
A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
In the Graduate College
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
1 9 9 3
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THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
GRADUATE COLLEGE
As members of the Final Examination Committee, we certify that we have
read the dissertation prepared by Curtis Van Bostick_______________
entitled The Antichrist and the "trewe men”. Lollard_____________
Apocalypticism.-in Late-Medieval and Early____________
Modern -England--------------------------------------------
and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation
requirement for th |ree of Doctor of Philosophy
Date
Date
A* 1~/o ~ <53
Pj^fessor Richard A. Cosgrove Date
V.CJU.I X J C
9 0-92
- /
Professor R. Clark Latr&zJ) Date
Date
Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon
the candidate's submission of the final copy of the dissertation to the
Graduate College.
I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my
direction and recommemi^th^ it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation
requirement. C
..................^:..A _
'iQlLU,
Dissertation Director
Professor Dr. Heiko A. Oberman
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STATEMENT BY AUTHOR
This dissertation has been submitted in partial
fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The
University of Arizona and is deposited in the University
Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of
the Library.
Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable
without special permission, provided that accurate
acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission
for extended quotation from or reproduction of this
manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the
copyright holder.
SIGNED:
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to acknowledge the United States-United
Kingdom Educational Commission for the grant of a
Fulbright-Hays Fellowship awarded for the year 1990-91 and
the support of the Graduate College, University of Arizona,
for a Grant from the Graduate Student Research Fund.
I have benefitted immensely from the critique and
encouragement of my fellow members in the Division for Late
Medieval and Reformation Studies of the Department of
History at the University of Arizona. Ms. Luise Betterton,
the Administrative Assistant of the Division, has been most
helpful at all times.
The patient reading and persuasive advice of
Professors Donald Weinstein, Richard Cosgrove, and Alan
Bernstein, University of Arizona, have saved the
dissertation from innumerable errors in composition and
judgment. Professor Richard Jensen in the Classics
Department of the University of Arizona was always
available for questions on Latin readings and
transcriptions. Professor Anne Hudson, Lady Margaret Hall,
Oxford, deserves special recognition for her generous help
with microfilms and print-outs and for extensive
discussions about all things related to the Lollards. I
owe a measureless debt of gratitude to my advisor,
Professor Dr. Heiko A. Oberman, for his patience with my
belated introduction into scholarship, for his enthusiasm
about my topic and for the tenacity with which he
scrutinized this study from its inception to completion.
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DEDICATION
For Gwen
"not even the rain has such small hands"
e. e. cummings
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6
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABBREVIATIONS ............................................ 10
I. APOCALYPTICISM: DEFINITIONS AND CONNOTATIONS . 12
A. The Sociological Model of Millenarianism 15
B. The Medievalist Approach..............19
C. Apocalyptic Spectacles................22
D. Apocalyptic Functions ................. 30
II. "TO MORALYZE ARIGHT": THE ESTABLISHED APOCALYPTIC
VISION IN LATE MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN ENGLAND 38
A. The Archetypal Antichrist........... 40
B. The Historical Antichrist........... 44
C. The Popularization of the Historical
Antichrist Tradition .................... 58
D. The Established Apocalyptic Vision and
the Church............................. 84
III. THE MISSING LINK: LOLLARDY AND ENGLISH
APOCALYPTICISM ................................... 89
IV. FOR THE REFORMATION OF THE WHOLE CHURCH:
THE OPUS A R D U U M .................................. 105
A. Prolegomena: The World in Schism . . . 105
B. Historical Exegesis in the Opus Arduum . 108
V. COMPETING APOCALYPTIC VISIONS: THE OPUS ARDUUM
VERSUS THE POPULAR VERSION ...................... 134
VI. DEGRADATION AND REFORMATION: CANON LAW AND
EVANGELICAL LAW IN THE OPUS ARDUUM...............157
VII. THE DISSEMINATION OF LOLLARD APOCALYPTICISM . . 173
VIII. LOLLARD APOCALYPTICISM: LOOKING IN FROM THE
O UT S I D E........................................... 224
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