Tra spiritualità e politica: la voce profetica nel libro V dell’Arbor vitae di Ubertino da Casale

Abstract

This article delves into the historiographical category of ‘spirituality’ by analyzing prophecy in the fifth book of Ubertino da Casale’s Arbor vitae crucifixae Iesu Christi. In particular, it aims on one hand to show how prophecy, read from a political perspective and frequently employed as such by Ubertino in the course of the text, is an integral part of a memory, passed down over time, with the power to forge a true collective identity for the group of spirituals by linking them, through certain figures-authorities, to Francis himself. On the other hand, it demonstrates that Ubertine dialogues openly with his sources and how it is precisely in his use of prophecy, positioned behind an obvious political framework, that we find a spirituality directing his words and actions. These reflections contribute to delineating and fleshing out the historiographical category of ‘spirituality’ that is the focus of so many important discussions.