The Cathars by Malcolm Barber

The Cathars by Malcolm Barber

In the second half of the twelfth century, the Catholic Church became convinced that dualist heresy was taking root within Christian society and that it was particularly strong in southern France. The nature and extent of this heresy and the reaction of the Church to the perceived threat have been the focus of extensive research since the mid-nineteenth century, research which has become especially intense in the last decade. Malcolm Barber's second edition of The Cathars (which first appeared in 2000) brings readers up-to-date with the challenges to previous conclusions of recent scholarship. At the same time, the wider implications of the subject remain relevant, most importantly the fundamental questions raised by the belief in the existence of evil, the ethical problems presented by the use of coercion to suppress forms of dissent believed to threaten the social and religious fabric, and the distortion of the past to underpin present-day policies and arguments.

This book is beautifully writtenWhile it is, generally, a work of synthesis, the sources have been read afresh in the context of recent research. Barber's cool common sense gives a chance to see the religion and the society in which it became rooted in a new light. Highly recommended, but it will disappoint romantics.

Jonathan Riley-Smith, Times Higher Educational Supplement

The book is especially notable for its careful and sensitive attempt to see the Cathars and their beliefs in a concrete, localised context. The author has done his homework on the regional geography and topography of Languedoc to good effect; the location, role and significance of the castrum, or fortified village, which made Catharism as much a rural as an urban heresy, is particularly well set out.

Malcolm Vale, English Historical Review

Barber, Malcolm: - Malcolm Barber is Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at the University of Reading. His other publications include The Two Cities. Medieval Europe 1050-1320 (1992, 2004), The Cathars. Dualist Heretics in Languedoc (2000) and The New Knighthood. A History of the Order of the Temple (Cambridge,1994).

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781408252581
ISBN 10	1408252589
Title	The Cathars
Author	Malcolm Barber
Series	The Medieval World
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Taylor & Francis Ltd
Year published	2013-06-27
Number of pages	358
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable