jjares reviewed The Albigensian Crusade: The History and Legacy of the Catholic Campaign against the Cathars in France on + 3270 more book reviews
This is an eye-opening book about dualism and Bogomilism. Because all records, books, materials about the Cathars and Bogomilism were destroyed, it has been hard work to reconstruct the belief system of this neo-Gnostic sect. Historians believe this sect was founded in the First Bulgarian Empire by the priest Bogomil during the reign of Tsar Peter I in the 10th century.
This religion wanted to harken back to the 'old-time-religion' of Jesus, before the creation of the Roman Catholic Church. They believed in dualism, that there was both Good and Evil on the earth, and that they are fairly independent and essentially equal forces. The Bogomils eventually moved to France and joined forces with a sister-sect, the Cathars ('the pure ones'). They held similar and opposing tenets but generally got along well together.
Essentially, the Albigensian Crusade (Cathar Crusade) was a 20-year military campaign to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc (southern France). Pope Innocent III initiated the action of the knights and additional military. This was the first crusade that specifically targeted heretic Christians and lasted from 1209 - 1229 CE. In the first battle, the crusaders killed 20,000 people (without respect to gender or age).
I was surprised to see that at the end, the author tended to try to validate the right of the Catholic Church to kill between 200,000 and 10 million people of Southern France. I had a hard time seeing their side of the argument.
This religion wanted to harken back to the 'old-time-religion' of Jesus, before the creation of the Roman Catholic Church. They believed in dualism, that there was both Good and Evil on the earth, and that they are fairly independent and essentially equal forces. The Bogomils eventually moved to France and joined forces with a sister-sect, the Cathars ('the pure ones'). They held similar and opposing tenets but generally got along well together.
Essentially, the Albigensian Crusade (Cathar Crusade) was a 20-year military campaign to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc (southern France). Pope Innocent III initiated the action of the knights and additional military. This was the first crusade that specifically targeted heretic Christians and lasted from 1209 - 1229 CE. In the first battle, the crusaders killed 20,000 people (without respect to gender or age).
I was surprised to see that at the end, the author tended to try to validate the right of the Catholic Church to kill between 200,000 and 10 million people of Southern France. I had a hard time seeing their side of the argument.
