Prompt Cast
The Controversial History of the Cathars: Separating Fact from Fiction
TLDR Recent historians argue that much of the history surrounding the Cathars, a shadowy counter church in the Middle Ages, may not be true. The word "Cathar" was not used by the people themselves or by the Catholic Church in the 13th century, and there is confusion and speculation about who the Cathars actually were.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The Cathars were a shadowy counter church in the Middle Ages that believed in dualism and were part of a wider European church of heretics, but recent historians argue that much of the history surrounding the Cathars may not be true.
05:39
The word "Cathar" was not used by the people themselves or by the Catholic Church in the 13th century, and the idea of a dualist heresy with roots in antiquity is not true; the word "Cathar" was first used in the 19th century by a French Protestant historian and only became widely used by historians in the post-war period.
09:50
The word "Cathar" has ancient origins and was used to describe heretics condemned in the early fourth century, but there is confusion and speculation about who the Cathars actually were.
14:20
During the 12th century, the idea of the Cathars was constructed by the literate elite and university-educated individuals as a universal heretical church that spans Christendom, but it is more likely that they made it up rather than the church actually existing.
18:51
The Catholic Church in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries was a revolutionary institution that propagated its vision through force, forming alliances with radical Christians like the Paterines in Milan, but as the reformers began to capture institutions and enforce their own authority, these radical Christians became a problem and were eventually identified as heretics.
23:24
The Catholic Church in the 11th and 12th centuries faced opposition from both extremists who believed the revolution hadn't gone far enough and those who felt left behind, leading to an upsurge of heresy and the church becoming more proactive in identifying and hunting down heretics.
27:47
The southwest of France became a breeding ground for heresy due to its remoteness from centers of power and the influence of the Catholic Church.
32:28
The heretics in the region of Toulouse and Albi, known as bonnie hominés, dispute the authority of the Pope and the division between priests and the laity, emphasizing the importance of courtesy and good behavior as a path to holiness.
37:10
The divisions between the "good men" and the outsiders in the region of Toulouse and Albi escalate as both sides accuse each other of heresy, while high politics and power struggles also play a role in the polarization of the region.
41:29
Innocent tries to get the King of France to intervene in the situation in the south of France, but the king refuses, and instead, Innocent threatens the count of Toulouse with excommunication unless he expels the heretics from his land, leading to a failed meeting between the count and a papal envoy.
45:44
The death of the Pope's legate leads to the use of the word "crusade" for the first time, marking the beginning of a horrific and apocalyptic campaign against the Cathars in the region.
Categories:
History
