The Perfect Heresy - The Life And Death Of The Cathars
by O'Shea, Stephen
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- ISBN 10
- 1861972709
- ISBN 13
- 9781861972705
- Seller
-
Newbury, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
The Revolutionary Life and Death of the Medieval CatharsAt the beginning of the thirteenth century, the Cathars, a group of heretical Christians, rose to prominence in Languedoc, now a region of southern France, but then a patchwork of city-states and principalities beholden to neither king nor bishop. The Cathars held revolutionary beliefs that threatened the authority of the Catholic Church as well as the legitimacy of feudal law: They thought the idea of Hell to be a sham; they rejected all sacraments, including marriage; they thought private property an absurd notion and that all things worldly were corrupt; and they preached religious tolerance and equality of the sexes.Supported by the leaders of Languedoc, Catharism enraged the new and formidable pope, Innocent III, who was determined to flex the Church’s muscle after decades of ineffectual weakness. Innocent resolved to eradicate what is now known as the Great Heresy. He recruited the forces of France, eager to expand her territory to the south, to undertake a systematic extermination of the Cathars and their supporters through a series of crusades between 1209 and 1229. By the time the wars were finally over, the ancient social fabric of the Languedoc had been destroyed, the territory of France reached as far as the Mediterranean, and a terrifying new force—the Inquisition—had been unleashed that would torment Europe for centuries.The Perfect Heresy eloquently chronicles the life and death of the Cathar movement—one of Western civilization’s most mind-boggling tales. As he did in his highly praised Back to the Front, Stephen O’Shea brings long-ago events to life though the energy of his prose and the clarity of his insight. Full of colorful and passionate personalities, his latest book sheds new light on the thirteenth century and on the timelessness of religious intolerance.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Eastleach Books (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 56338
- Title
- The Perfect Heresy - The Life And Death Of The Cathars
- Author
- O'Shea, Stephen
- Format/Binding
- Hardback
- Book Condition
- Used
- Edition
- 1st edition.
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10
- 1861972709
- ISBN 13
- 9781861972705
- Publisher
- Profile Books
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 2000
- Keywords
- ISBN 1861972709, medieval history, history, heresy, cathars, catholicism, theology, french history
Terms of Sale
Eastleach Books
About the Seller
Eastleach Books
About Eastleach Books
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Half Title
- The blank front page which appears just prior to the title page, and typically contains only the title of the book, although, at...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...