The Prophecy

Prophetism was a widespread phenomenon in the Protestant Reformation, especially in its radical component. The revolutionary potential inherent in prophecy was employed by the heterodox (men and women) for the complete re -founding of society, the Church, institutions, morals, culture, gender relations, in an apocalyptic and millenarian perspective. Rooted in the medieval religious heritage, prophetism opened utopian horizons for the immediate future. The charisma, by which the prophet becomes a direct messenger of God, legitimized the struggle of radicals against the authoritarianism of the Churches, old and new. Prophetism was thus linked to the development of the modern concept of tolerance and religious freedom.