The Influence of Joachim's Theory of Developmental Periods on Pioneering Reformists

Humans' perception of time has always had important role in developing their belief system. Hebrews by having faith in an omnipotent God got free from the cycles of eternal growth and decline. Instead they believed in a unique ending of history. With Christianity history turned to a meaningful process and a Christian was believed to be a pilgrim going to an ultimate destination. Before Joachim, this ultimate was believed as the salvation of chosen believers and it was located out of universal history. But Joachim supposed history as a developmental process and brought the salvation into the universal history. It actually led to a hope for an earthly heaven. Pioneering reformist inspired by Joachim`s descriptions of apocalyptic chaos and Golden Age of Holy Spirit started a religious and anti-church reformation. John Wyclif, one of the first reformist, declared that the luxury of the church indicated that the end of the time was approaching. Believing in flourished minds and the relative self-autonomy of Christians in the last era of history led to the idea of spiritual church and objection against the authority of the existing church.