The Waldensian Dissent: Persecution and Survival, c.1170-c.1570 (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks)

The Poor of Lyons, whom their detractors called 'Waldensians' - after the name of their founder Waldo (or Vaudès) - first emerged around 1170 and formed in common with other groups of the period a sect which embraced evangelism, prophecy and poverty. By challenging their prohibition by the lay clergy, and by following the Scripture to the last letter, they suffered excommunication and were condemned as heretics. Forced underground and dispersed widely, they nevertheless managed to maintain contact across Europe, through an established network of itinerant preachers, in Provence and Dauphiné, Calabria and Piedmont, Austria and Bohemia, Pomerania, Brandenburg, Silesia and beyond. The Poor of Lyons constituted the only medieval heresy to have survived to the dawn of the so-called 'modern' period. Their tale of simple devotion mixed with a fierce tenacity serves to illuminate aspects of religious belief that have persisted to the present day. This book was first published in 1999. The Poor Of Lyons, Called By Their Detractors 'waldensians' After Their Founder Waldo Or Vaudes, First Emerged Around 1170. Like Other Groups Of The Period, They Formed A Religious Community Founded On The Strict Observance Of The Gospel, Preaching And Poverty. Defying Church Rulings Stating That The Laity Had No Right To Preach And Applying The Scriptures To The Letter, In Particular Denying The Existence Of Purgatory And Refusing To Take Oaths, They Were Condemned As Heretics. The Community Was Forced Underground And Dispersed Widely; But Through A Unique, Organised Body Of Intinerant Preachers They Nevertheless Managed To Maintain Links Throughout The Whole Of Europe. This Book Is Less A History Of Waldensianism Than An Account Of Those Men And Women Who, Remaining True To An Ideal, Lived In Anxiety And Under Suspicion, Often Fearful And Sometimes In Blind Terror. Proclaiming Their Faith Timidly, Yet With An Astounding - Sometimes Dogged - Tenacity, They Hold Up A Mirror To Us Today.--jacket. 1. 1170-1215: Decisive And Purposive Origins -- 2. The Thirteenth Century: The Need To Adapt -- 3. The Fourteenth Century: The Challenge Of Believing Differently -- 4. The Fifteenth Century: The Risks Of Longevity -- 5. The Constraints Of A Life In Hiding -- 6. The Need To Organise -- 7. A Culture Of Their Own: The Written And The Spoken Word -- 8. The Sixteenth Century: The End As A Way Forward? -- 9. Epilogue: The Waldensian Church. Gabriel Audisio ; Translated By Claire Davison. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 225-228) And Index. The Poor of Lyons, whom their detractors called "Waldensians"--after the name of their founder Waldo (or Vaud?s)--first emerged around 1170 and formed a sect that embraced evangelism, prophesy and poverty. Challenging prohibition by following the Scripture to the last letter, they were condemned as heretics. The Waldensians constituted the only medieval heresy to have survived to the dawn of the so-called "modern" period. Their tale of simple devotion mixed with a fierce tenacity serves to illuminate aspects of religious belief that have persisted to the present day.