1. Medieval Heresy

2. Medieval Heresy
How can we describe the heretical movements in western Europe during the Middle Ages?
How can we accurately describe the Church’s methods of responding to heresy?

3. Medieval Heresy Heresy in Medieval Western Europe
Regarded as serious sin, “spiritual infection”
Viewed as treason against the state
Responses: persuasion, repression

4. Medieval Heresy Cathars (Albigensians)
World and matter: evil, created by evil god
Old Testament vs. New
Christ not truly human, but heavenly guide
Salvation
Liberation of spirit
Through acknowledging human condition, contempt of matter

5. Medieval Heresy Cathars Consisted of “perfect,” “believers”
Severe asceticism for perfect
Major rite: consolamentum
After period of probation, fasting
Begins journey “home,” apostolic life
Bishops, deacons
Consolamentum

6. Medieval Heresy Peter Waldo (d. ca. 1218) Wealthy merchant of Lyon
Inspired by Gospel to life of poverty, preaching (1173)
Attracted disciples
Church would not sanction their preaching

7. Medieval Heresy The Waldensians (“Poor of Lyon”)
Refused to submit  excommunicated, expelled from Lyon
Detested Roman Church, its corruption
Maintained lives of strict poverty, preached
Survived Middle Ages

8. Medieval Heresy
Chiesa Valdese, Piazza Cavour, Rome

9. Medieval Heresy
Pope Francis seeking forgiveness from Waldensians of Turin (June 2015)

10. Medieval Heresy
Questions?

11. Medieval Heresy Medieval Inquisition Established 1231
Founding objectives
Detect, combat heresy
Convert the heretic
Inquisitors
Usually friars trained as priests
Traveled in pairs with aides, notaries

12. Medieval Heresy Inquisitio
Upon inquisitors’ arrival, summons delivered to those suspect
The inquest
Summary of charges presented, suspect given time to respond
Witnessed summoned (identities not revealed)
Suspect questioned regarding heretical beliefs, contact with heretics
Goal: abjuration of heresy
Torture used after 1252, with restrictions

13. Medieval Heresy Punishments Regular penances Wearing yellow cross
Imprisonment
Burning

14. Medieval Heresy Witchcraft Considered mixture of heresy, sorcery
Focus of inquisitors during Late Middle Ages
Hammer of Witches (1486)
Inquisitors’ manual on witchcraft, demonology
Misogynistic!
Joan of Arc executed as a heretic-witch (1431)
Hermann Stilke, Joan of Arc’s Death at the Stake (1843)

15. Medieval Heresy

16. Medieval Heresy The Spanish Inquisition
Instituted 1478 by Ferdinand and Isabella
Efficient and brutal!
Supervised first by Tomás Torquemada ( )
Principal target: “crypto-Jews” among conversos
Abolished 1834

17. Medieval Heresy

18. Medieval Heresy The Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229)
Cathars lived securely in Languedoc
Unsuccessful preaching, murder of legate  Innocent III called for crusade
Northern army led campaign against Cathars, their protectors
Cathars eliminated

19. Medieval Heresy
Questions?

20. Medieval Heresy
How can we describe the heretical movements in western Europe during the Middle Ages?
How can we accurately describe the Church’s methods of responding to heresy?

21. Primary Source “The Laws concerning Mashiach” Who was the author?
What kind of source?
According to the document, who was Mashiach? What could be expected during the messianic era?
What did the author have to say about Christianity? Why do the quotations in the footnotes matter historically?

22. Primary Source Fulcher of Chartres Source What kind of source?
Who was the speaker?
What were the problems in the East, and in the West? What did the speaker urge those present to do about it?
How were the Muslims described?

23. Primary Source “The Crusaders in Mainz” What kind of source?
Who was the author?
What happened?
How did the author view Christians and their religion?
How did the author view his coreligionists and their response to the Christians?

24. Primary Source “Inquisitorial Technique” What kind of source?
Who was the author?
What do we learn about the inquisitorial process?
What can we discern about exchanges between inquisitors and suspected heretics?