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Without lifting a sword, the Cathars posed a threat to Catholicism greater than the Muslims or Jews—or so the Church believed. The Cathars believed that matter was essentially evil—especially the human body—and that the material world had to be transcended through a simple life of prayer, work, fasting, and nonviolence. Though they radically departed from certain traditional Christian beliefs, the Cathars still believed themselves to be the heirs of the true heritage of Christianity. They completely rejected the Catholic Church and all its opulent trappings, regarding it as the Church of Satan; Cathar services and ceremonies, by contrast, were held in fields, barns, and people's homes. The Cathars found widespread popularity among peasants and artisans. They respected women, who played a major role in the movement. Alarmed at the success of Catharism, the Church began the Inquisition and launched the Albigensian Crusade to exterminate the heresy. The Albigensian Crusade was the first Crusade to be directed against fellow Christians and was also the first European genocide. Today, the mystique surrounding the Cathars is as strong as ever. Their myths and complete history are examined here in The Cathars—the compelling true story of this once peaceful religious sect.
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Other books in this series by the same author The Black Death Alchemy and Alchemists The Knights Templar The Cathars SEAN MARTIN POCKET ESSENTIALS First published in 2005 by Pocket Essentials P.O.Box 394, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 1XJ www.pocketessentials.com © Sean Martin 2005 The right of Sean Martin to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.The book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form or binding cover other than in which it is published, and without similar conditions, including this condition being imposed on the subsequent publication. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 10: 1 904048 33 1 ISBN 13: 978 1 904048 33 6 2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1 Typeset by Avocet Typeset, Chilton, Aylesbury, Bucks Printed and bound in Great Britain by CPD Ltd, Ebbw Vale,Wales For all the Good Christians, past and present and In Memory of My Father, whose feet tread the lost aeons Acknowledgments I would like to thank Ion Mills, for bearing with me during the writing of this book; my sister Lois, for her advice; Nick Harding, for the usual lending of tomes and camaraderie; and fellow credente Adso Brown. • 6 • Throughout human history, believers have waged war against one another. Gnostics and mystics have not. People are only too prepared to kill on behalf of a theology or a faith.They are less disposed to do so on behalf of knowledge.Those prepared to kill for faith will therefore have a vested interest in stifling the voice of knowledge. Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, The Inquisition Bishop Fulk,asking a knight why he did not expel heretics,received the classic answer:‘We cannot.We have been reared in their midst. We have relatives among them and we see them living lives of perfection.’ Malcolm Lambert, The Cathars Salvation is better achieved in the faith of these men called heretics than in any other faith. Anonymous F