Catharism was a Christian sect in south France that defied most everything the “Church” required of its believers. Christians should strive to be like Jesus, a poor man who respected men and women. Cathars reincarnated until they are “Perfect” and finally are released from their corporal bodies to join Christ. This heresy in the 11-1200s was so antithetical to the Church that it called on a crusade to kill them all, ultimately succeeding. O’Shea is an excellent writer and historian, making ancient primary sources accessible. I was confused by the first few chapters but as the story of the crusade developed it was almost impossible to put down. I learned so much about a fascinating Christian sect I knew nothing about and which predated Protestantism. Trigger warnings: the Church and its henchmen were cruel and brutal. Many thousands died cruel, painful deaths. ( )

Since the name is "Perfect Heresy" I was expecting more details about the actual heresy, the theology, doctrine of the Cathars etc. Instead is was a detailed (reality based) history of the Cathars in what is now southern France. When things started, the region the Cathars were living in was an semi-independent area with its own language, not quite French or Italian or Spanish, but related. Not everyone was a Cathar but non-Cathars respected and protected them. This was beacuse the Cathars, for the most part, were better behaved and more moral than the established Catholic church. Then over the course of 3 or 4 generations a Crusade was launched against the heretics and the local lords who protected them. At the end of the Crusade, the King of France controlled the area and the local lords were exterminated or exiled. There was a lot of politics involved and religion was just an excuse to finance the wars and recruit soldiers.

The book covers mostly the events, personalities and politics and does not go deeply into the religion.

I say it is reality based, because since the early 1800's a lot of semi-fictional writing has taken place that connects the Cathars with the Knights Templars, the Holy Grail, hidden treasure, ancient mystic eastern knowledge and a supposed line of kings descended from Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. This is all false and the development of these myths is gone over in the epilogue.

I did learn that the Albigensian Crusades took place over generations, that many who fought with the Cathars were not believers and that the local power structure was deeply involved. I wanted more information on the actual beliefs of the Cathars but this was not the book for that.
( )

Interesting exposition of Medieval European Papacy during the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Deals with Pope Innocent III and the main agents both for and against the Cathars of Languedoc...(southern France and NE Spain). ( )

LOS CÁTAROS. LA HEREJÍA PERFECTA

Radicales en sus creencias e impregnados de una profunda espiritualidad, los cátaros protagonizaron un periodo de suma importancia para Occidente en la historia de: Los cataros la hrerjia perfecta

Radicales en sus creencias e impregnados de una profunda espiritualidad, los cátaros protagonizaron un periodo de suma importancia para Occidente en la historia de las ideas.

Estos rebeldes de la Edad Media calificaban de fraudulentos los poderes terrenales, rechazaban el materialismo, trataban a las mujeres en términos de igualdad, aceptaban la diferencia de credo, defendían
el amor libre y afirmaban que el infierno no existía.

Pero, sobre todo, los cátaros pusieron en entredicho la autoridad de la Iglesia y su concepción del bien y del mal, provocando con ello que se tambaleara el sistema de valores impuesto.
Ante la amenaza del catarismo, Inocencio III, apoyado por los señores feudales, promovió una serie de campañas bélicas que desde 1209 hasta 1229 realizaron con éxito una sangrienta misión: el exterminio del catarismo.

Stephen O'Shea nos presenta un emocionante e ilustrador cuadro de la Francia medieval, así como una evocación de otra época que lleva a pensar que la intolerancia religiosa es intemporal.

Una crónica apasionante de uno de los episodios más vergonzosos de la historia de la Iglesia en la Edad Media.s ideas. Estos rebeldes de la Edad Media calificaban de fraudulentos los poderes terrenales,
rechazaban el materialismo, trataban a las mujeres en términos de igualdad, aceptaban la diferencia de credo, defendían el amor libre y afirmaban que el infierno no existía.

Pero, sobre todo, los cátaros pusieron en entredicho la autoridad de la Iglesia y suconcepción del bien y del mal, provocando con ello que se tambaleara el sistema de valores impuesto.

Notes whilst reading:
Excellent writing style.
Good general review of what they believed. It was quite heretical.
Right amount of information about the battles.
Good insight into the medieval life, and of the ruthlessness of the corrupt Roman church.
Wish I would have read this some years ago when we stayed some weeks in the region.
Lots of interesting notes at the back, but there are no references in the book to these notes. ( )