The Cathars

This is a comprehensive account of the major popular heresy of the high-Middle Ages. The Cathars have been the subject of novels, plays, and television and radio investigations. Much remains controversial about them; they are still both vilified and romanticized. The book gives the reader the opportunity to examine impartially the realities of their beliefs and to see in detail how they lived. It shows why medieval churchmen were determined to destroy them, and how the heresy was eradicated in the West. Malcolm Lambert begins by outlining the rise of the heresy in the social, political, intellectual and religious ferment of the 12th and 13th centuries. He discusses the role of the Byzantine Empire in its birth, spread and repression, and gives an account of the impact of the heresy on the medieval Western Church. He shows how the Cathar threat resulted in the development of inquisitorial proceedings to deal with the heretics and in St Dominic's founding of the Order of Friars. The appeal of Catharism and the lives of its ascetic leadership - the Perfect - are described and recreated through a detailed examination of the records of the Inquisition. The story of the progressive destruction of Catharism by inquisitors, preachers and scholastics is told in detail. The Cathars finally disappeared, but left behind them a deeply affected society and a permanently marked Church. The book is based on research by the author in France, Italy and Germany.

Table of Contents:
List of Maps.List of Illustrations.Acknowledgements.Introduction.1. The Little Foxes.2. The First Cathars.3. The Wise Man from the East.4. The Growth of Catharism.5. Innocent III, Heresy and Reform.6. The First Inquisitors.7. The Cathars of Languedoc.8. The Battle for Souls in Italy.9. The Suffocating of Catharism in Languedoc.10. The Last Missionary.11. The Decline of Italian Catharism.12. Inertia and Survival: the Bosnian Church.Epilogue: The Legacy of Catharism.Abbreviations.Index.

About the Author :
Malcolm Lambert was Reader in Medieval History at the University of Bristol until 1991 when he retired to devote himself to writing and research. His previous books are Franciscan Poverty (1961, reissued 1998) and Medieval Heresy (2nd edition, 1992).

Review :
"Catharism was the most radical of medieval heresies. Since it touched most areas of Europe in some degree, research on its character and fortunes makes formidable demands on the learning and linguistic ability of any scholar who tackles it, not to mention demands also on his judgement. Malcolm Lambert, well known for his lucid and authoritative writings on medieval heresy, is a match for this challenging task. His new book, The Cathars, is to be welcomed as the most comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the subject now available in English." Alexander Murray, University College, London "Lambert's command of the literature and his ability to integrate it into a coherent narrative are unmatched. His book deserves to become the standard account of medieval Catharism." Medieval Review "This is the first comprehensive study in English of the most mysterious and radical of medieval heresies. Malcolm Lambert ... 'combines scholarly investigation with lucid narrative.'" TD Book Survey "Malcolm Lambert, with deep erudition allied to pristine sensitive prose, masterfully narrates [the] distinctive history [of] the cathars ... The Cathars ... is, quite simply, indispensible." Catholic Historical Review