An edition of The Cathars (2004)

The Cathars

The Most Successful Heresy of the Middle Ages

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Last edited by ImportBot
July 27, 2021 | History
An edition of The Cathars (2004)

The Cathars

The Most Successful Heresy of the Middle Ages

  • 1 Want to read
  • 1 Have read

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 again unlike the Church, the Cathars respected women, and women 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 Montsegur 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.

Publish Date
Language
English
Pages
256

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Previews available in: English

Edition Availability
Cover of: The Cathars
The Cathars: The Most Successful Heresy of the Middle Ages
July 30, 2006, Book Sales
Hardcover in English
Cover of: The Cathars
The Cathars
2006, Pocket Essentials
eBook in English
Cover of: The Cathars
The Cathars: The Most Successful Heresy of the Middle Ages
April 10, 2005, Thunder's Mouth Press
Paperback in English
Cover of: The Cathars
The Cathars
November 1, 2004, Pocket Essentials
Hardcover

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Book Details


First Sentence

"It was the Feast Day of St Mary Magdalene, 22 July 1209, and an all-out massacre had not been planned."

Classifications

Library of Congress
BX4891.3 .M37 2005

The Physical Object

Format
Paperback
Number of pages
256
Dimensions
7.5 x 5 x 0.7 inches
Weight
5.6 ounces

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL8615379M
Internet Archive
catharsmostsucce0000mart
ISBN 10
1560256745
ISBN 13
9781560256748
LCCN
2004118188
Library Thing
1452961
Goodreads
2276782

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History

Download catalog record: RDF / JSON
July 27, 2021 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
August 1, 2020 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
July 22, 2019 Edited by MARC Bot remove fake subjects
June 23, 2010 Edited by ImportBot add details from OverDrive
December 14, 2009 Created by WorkBot add works page