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Albigensians A name that is usually used in reference to a later group of Cathari which was a religious movement of southern France in the 12th and 13th centuries. Albigensians or Albigenses (French: Albigeois) literally means the inhabitants of Albi, a city in southern France. The name originates from the end of the 12th century, and was used in 1181 by the chronicler Geoffroy du Breuil of Vigeois. The name is somewhat misleading as the center of the religious movement was really Toulouse. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
It has been suggested that Albigensians be merged into this article or section. ...
Location within France Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Albi Albi is a town and commune in southern France. ...
(11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ...
Events Jayavarman VII assumes control of the Khmer kingdom. ...
Geoffroy du Breuil of Vigeois was a 12th century French chronicler. ...
The Capitole, the 18th century city hall of Toulouse and best known landmark in the city; in the foreground is the Place du Capitole, a hub of urban life at the very center of the city Toulouse (pronounced in standard French (help· info), in local Toulouse accent (help· info)) (Occitan...
The movement itself never used the names of "Cathar" or "Albigensian". They simply referred to themselves as the "Good Christians".
Much has been written about the Albigensians but unfortunately most of it has been lifted from the chronicles of their accusers that extracted statements from them during the tortures of the Inquisition. There was a tendency during that time to to lump together every heretical group under one name regardless of their individual doctrines or practice. This would be comparable to saying in the 21rst century that all Protestants believe alike or that all Protestants practice baptismal emmersion which obviously is not true. There were various groups of Cathari that varied in their beliefs. Some adhered to an extreme doctrine of gnostic dualism claiming God and Satan were equals in power while others believed in a milder form of dualism wherein God was the supreme power but the devil was temporarily god of this world. There were those that believed Christ was a phantom angel sent from God while others believed in a modalistic monarchism which declared Jesus was the true God himself.
Early Catharism was much more associated with Gnostic theologies that it inherited from its association with the Bogomils. However, as one historian phrased it, as time proceeded they became more and more like orthodox Christians in both their doctrine and practice. When the term "Albigensians" or "Albigensian Crusades" are used they are usually referring to these later Cathars which were a branch of the earlier sect. Bogomils was the name of a defunct Gnostic social-religious movement and doctrine which originated in Macedonia in X century at the time of Peter I of Bulgaria (927-969) as a reaction of the state and clerical oppression. ...
In the 12th century the church declared them heretics. In the years that followed the Crusades and Inquisitions against them, they slowly dissolved, and by the 15th century they had completely disappeared as a sect. By the time Pope Innocent III came to power in 1198, he had resolved to suppress the Cathari. There followed over forty years of war against the indigenous population. During this period some 500,000 Languedoc men women and children were massacred. [1] However many of the Albigensians, who as previously stated came closer and closer to identifying with orthodox Christianity, merged with the Waldensians prior to their sect being wiped out in the inquisitions. The Albigensians left their mark on the Waldensian movement which is evident in the Waldensian theology and customs. The Waldensian movement was opposed to the early Cathar movement but was known to work side by side with the Albigensians. (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ...
Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ...
This article is about historical Crusades . ...
The Inquisition was an office of the Roman Catholic Church charged with suppressing heresy. ...
Innocent III, born Lotario de Conti di Segni (Gavignano, near Anagni, ca. ...
The Waldensians are a Christian denomination believing in poverty and austerity, founded around 1173, promoting true poverty, public preaching and the literal interpretation of the scriptures. ...
The tendency of historians to characterize these later Albigensians as being an exclusively heretical group serves a purpose inasmuch as it justifies her exterminaters for their actions during the Inquisition. To admit there may have been true Christians among the ranks of the Albigensians would mean that proclaiming Christians were killing other Christians. Numerous sources in the archives of the Languedoc area seem to provide information revealing that Gibbons and Arnold were correct in asserting that at least a portion of the Albigensians were true Christians or "Protestants before Protestantism". As these sources become more public we may be forced to rethink our position in Church history. Perhaps these people who were so willing to die for their beliefs laid the groundwork and prepared the soil for the Waldensians, Martin Luther, Zwingli, and others. Many denominations today may indeed owe a great debt to the Albigensians.
There exists today a modern sect that claims to be Albigensian Cathars which received its consolamentum from survivors of the original sect. This is, however, difficult if not impossible to prove. The author of this article met with many of them in southern France and indeed even today there are those that are radically dualistic and gnostic while others would fit more comfortably in what we would term as "Good Christians". Fortunately for them they no longer have to fear the flames of the pyre.
See also
Cathars being expelled from Carcassone in 1209. ...
The Albigensian Crusade or Cathar Crusade (1209 - 1229) was a 20-year military campaign initiated by the Roman Catholic Church to eliminate the religion practiced by the Cathars of Languedoc, which the Roman Catholic hierarchy considered heretical. ...
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