Check nearby libraries
Buy this book
Between 1000 and 1250, the Catholic Church confronted the threat of heresy with increasing force. Some of the most portentous events in medieval history -- the Cathar crusade, the persecution and mass burnings of heretics, the papal inquisition established to identify and suppress beliefs that departed from the true religion -- date from this period. Fear of heresy molded European society for the rest of the Middle Ages and beyond, and violent persecutions of the accused left an indelible mark. Yet, as R.I. Moore suggests, the version of these events that has come down to us may be more propaganda than historical reality. Popular accounts of heretical events, most notably the Cathar crusade, are derived from thirteenth-century inquisitors who saw organized heretical movements as a threat to society. Skeptical of the reliability of their reports, Moore reaches back to earlier contemporaneous sources, where he learns a startling truth: no coherent opposition to Catholicism, outside the Church itself, existed. The Cathars turn out to be a mythical construction, and religious difference does not explain the origins of battles against heretic practices and beliefs. A truer explanation lies in conflicts among elites -- both secular and religious -- who used the specter of heresy to extend their political and cultural authority and silence opposition. By focusing on the motives, anxieties, and interests of those who waged war on heresy, Moore's narrative reveals that early heretics may have died for their faith, but it was not because of their faith that they were put to death. - Publisher.
Check nearby libraries
Buy this book
Previews available in: English
Subjects
Heresy, Christian heresies, HistoryTimes
Middle Ages, 600-1500Edition | Availability |
---|---|
1
The war on heresy
2012, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press
Hardcover
in English
- 1st Harvard University Press ed.
0674065824 9780674065826
|
aaaa
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
Book Details
Table of Contents
Edition Notes
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
Classifications
The Physical Object
ID Numbers
Source records
Library of Congress MARC recordBetter World Books record
Library of Congress MARC record
Internet Archive item record
Promise Item
marc_columbia MARC record
marc_nuls MARC record
harvard_bibliographic_metadata record
Work Description
Between 1000 and 1250, the Catholic Church confronted the threat of heresy with increasing force. Some of the most portentous events in medieval history -- the Cathar crusade, the persecution and mass burnings of heretics, the papal inquisition established to identify and suppress beliefs that departed from the true religion -- date from this period. Fear of heresy molded European society for the rest of the Middle Ages and beyond, and violent persecutions of the accused left an indelible mark. Yet, as R. I. Moore suggests, the version of these events that has come down to us may be more propaganda than historical reality. Popular accounts of heretical events, most notably the Cathar crusade, are derived from thirteenth-century inquisitors who saw organized heretical movements as a threat to society. Skeptical of the reliability of their reports, Moore reaches back to earlier contemporaneous sources, where he learns a startling truth: no coherent opposition to Catholicism, outside the Church itself, existed. The Cathars turn out to be a mythical construction, and religious difference does not explain the origins of battles against heretic practices and beliefs. A truer explanation lies in conflicts among elites -- both secular and religious -- who used the specter of heresy to extend their political and cultural authority and silence opposition. By focusing on the motives, anxieties, and interests of those who waged war on heresy, Moore's narrative reveals that early heretics may have died for their faith, but it was not because of their faith that they were put to death. - Publisher.
Community Reviews (0)
Feedback?February 28, 2020 | Edited by MARC Bot | remove fake subjects |
July 14, 2017 | Edited by Mek | adding subject: Internet Archive Wishlist |
August 22, 2012 | Edited by Bryan Tyson | Added new cover |
August 22, 2012 | Edited by Bryan Tyson | Edited without comment. |
February 8, 2012 | Created by LC Bot | import new book |