Cathars: The Most Successful Heresy of the Middle AgesOldacastle Books, 3 févr. 2012 - 192 pages Catharism was the most successful heresy of the Middle Ages. Flourishing principally in the Languedoc and Italy, the Cathars taught that the world is evil and must be transcended through a simple life of prayer, work, fasting, and non-violence. They believed themselves to be the heirs of the true heritage of Christianity going back to apostolic times, and completely rejected the Catholic Church and all its trappings, regarding it as the Church of Satan. Cathar services and ceremonies, by contrast, were held in fields, barns, and in people's homes. Finding support from the nobility in the fractious political situation in southern France, the Cathars also found widespread popularity among peasants and artisans. And, unlike the Church, the Cathars respected women; they played a major role in the movement. Alarmed at the success of Catharism, the Church founded the Inquisition and launched the Albigensian Crusade to exterminate the heresy. While previous Crusades had been directed against Muslims in the Middle East, the Albigensian Crusade was the first Crusade to be directed against fellow Christians, and was also the first European genocide. With the fall of the Cathar fortress of Montségur in 1244, Catharism was largely obliterated, although the faith survived into the early fourteenth century. Today, the mystique surrounding the Cathars is as strong as ever, and Sean Martin recounts their story and the myths associated with them in this lively and gripping book. |
Table des matières
The Foxes in the Vineyard of the Lord | |
The First Western Heretics Church Reforms The First Cathars The Living | |
The Inquisition | |
Italy and Bosnia | |
The Cathars and the Holy Grail The Troubadours and the Knights Templar | |
Suggestions for Further Reading | |
Autres éditions - Tout afficher
Expressions et termes fréquents
Albi Albigensian Crusade Arnold Amaury arrested baptism became Bech began Bélibaste Béziers Bogomils Bosnian Church brother Bulgaria burnt campaign Carcasonne castle Cathar Believer Cathar bishop Cathar Treasure Catholic Church century Christ Christianity Cistercians clergy Concorezzo Conrad consolamentum consoled Constantinople Council count of Toulouse death debate denounced Despite devil dualist Ecclesia Eckbert endura Esclarmonde evil excommunication faith Foix forces Franciscans French Gnostics Grail Gregory Henry of Lausanne heresy heretics Holy Innocent Innocent’s Inquisition Inquisitors Italian Cathars Italy Jesus John killed King Knights known lands Languedoc Languedocian Lavaur lived Lombers Manichaeans Manichaeism Massalianism Minerve Montaillou Montségur Nicaea Nicetas nobles O’Shea ordo papal legate Paulicians Perfect persecution Peter Autier Pope preaching priest Quéribus Raymond Roger Raymond VII receive the consolamentum reconsoled religion remained Roger Bernard Rome Satan sect seems sermon Sicre siege Simon de Montfort St Félix St Gilles Templar Testament town Trencavel Troubadours Waldensians women Zoroastrianism