Important Heresies (11th-16th Century) Flashcards
Cathars/Albigensians
with roots going back to dualist Gnostic and Manichean movements from the time of the early Church, carried on through Bogomil groups in eastern Europe until spread to southern Europe, the Cathars become numerous in southern France and northern Italy, though found elsewhere as well. Though steeped in ancient dualism (rejection of the material world as the product of an evil or ignorant god), they too claimed to follow the apostolic life of poverty, renunciation, and ascetic life. Sheltered to some degree by the more easy-going nobility and people of the Languedoc (who spoke Occitan, not the French of the northern areas), they became numerous enough that Pope Innocent III called a crusade in the early 13th century against them, resulting in many northern knights coming down and destroying (and taking over their land) any southern sympathizers and protectors. From then on the remaining Cathars were a small, very secret group, eventually dying out. [Ozment, 92]
Waldensians
The followers of Peter Waldo/Valdes (see “Important Personalities”), the “Poor of Lyons” better known as the Waldensians, who tried to follow his example, especially in lay preaching and anti-sacramental outlook, with an exclusive stress upon the Bible, which was opposed by clerics. This clash resulted in anti-clerical, anti-hierarchical, and anti-sacramental attitudes by the Waldensians, which led them to be condemned as heretics, though they continued to exist despite persecution in the more remote and mountainous sections of southern France and northern Italy. They assimilated with the French/Genevan Reform movement in the 16th century. [Ozment, pp.95, 99]
Heresy of the Free Spirit
(primarily 13-14th centuries.) Related to mystical movements and perfectionist ideals of women and men, some among the Beguines, the “free Spirit” heresy was condemned for alleging, on the basis of an achieved perfection and union with God through ascetic-mystical experience, an “autotheism,” a “self-god-ness” which transcended the need for the sacramental and priestly administrations of the Church. Though many in these groups remained basically no different from their orthodox mystics other than being open to new ideas and practices to further their piety and devotion, some (such as Margarite of Porête) did move toward such expressions of autotheism and disregard for sacramental life on the basis of an alleged perfection and freedom.
Spiritual Franciscans
the “observant” wing of the Franciscans who tried to remain faithful to the original spirit of poverty and rootlessness of their founder, Francis. They ran aground of the later papal views (especially of their nemesis, John XXII) which condemned their view of real physical renunciation and poverty as a spiritual goal, as well as their advocacy of Joachim of Fiore’s soon- to-arrive “age of the Spirit” in which the hierarchical church will be unnecessary, an age the Spirituals saw ushered in by Francis.
Wycliffe and the Lollards
John Wycliffe was a late 14 century Oxford master who, because of philosophical commitments to extreme “realism,” denied transubstantiation in the Eucharist in favor of a signifying or “sacramental” view of Christ’s presence. Further, following a strict Augustinian view of the Church as the predestined (versus the visible church of the hierarchy and Christian commonwealth of laity), he argued that the predestined saints, though “invisible,” can be known to a degree by their deeds. This moved him toward “Donatist” positions on the lack of sacramental efficacy in the ministrations of sinful priests, thereby depreciating the importance of the sacraments themselves; following from that is a depreciation of the sacraments. Part of his argument was that proper “dominion” belonged intrinsically to God, only secondarily and extrinsically to human claimants/beneficiaries: hence, rightful lordship must depend on that claimant’s personal worthiness and merit. Those abusing the gift of dominion forfeit its exercise. All this led as well to a rejection of the traditional claims of the hierarchy and the papacy in its “mediatorial” function. This was very much Donatism. He also was somewhat of a Biblical fundamentalist (though not totally sola scriptura). Though protected in his late life from condemnation, his positions were subsequently condemned. But his followers, first theologically-trained folk who followed him, then, when persecuted and driven underground, carried on by lower class tradesmen and artisans, became known as the Lollards, and they followed Wycliffe in their anti-clerical, anti-sacramental, and Biblical focus into the early English Reformation, despite periodic persecutions by the hierarchy. [Ozment pp.165-6, 210-11]
Jan Huss and the Hussites
Wycliffe’s views found currency with Czech students then studying theology in Oxford (because of the Great Schism they could not go to Paris). On their returning to Prague, they led to ferment in the reform movements taking root there. Huss, a university preacher of renown, took over a number of positions from Wycliffe, though in a more moderate fashion (for instance, a much more moderate Donatism). Nevertheless, he was instrumental (along with Jerome of Prague) in the rise of a Czech/Bohemian reform movement. Excommunicated in 1410, Huss remained defiant. Despite given a safe-conduct passage to the reforming Council of Constance, and thinking he could convince the council of the orthodoxy of his Wycliffian positions, he was seized, tried, condemned, and burned as a heretic (as was Jerome). Yet his followers back in Bohemia remained strong, and soon strong Hussite armies threatening other parts of Europe pushed subsequent conciliar councils to cave into many of the Bohemian demands, creating a strong national church which resisted outside encroachment. [Ozment pp.165, 166-70]
