A light, but solid introduction to the Cathars

Review of The Perfect Heresy: The Life and Death of the Cathars by Stephen O'Shea

This is a competent popular history that is essential to know, particularly if you want to understand French history. The story takes place during the Gothic Era, a period of expansion following the Dark Ages: there are new technologies, a dynamic economy exploding with population growth, and a new openness to ideas about how society should be run. The Languedoc region, a loosely organized feudal domain south of the French kingdom and north of Navarre Spain, flourished in its independence, spawning not just poetry and a sensual life style, but an offshoot of Christianity that resembled the Gnostics of 2nd and 3rd century.

According to Cathar theology, the world was an evil place that was made not by God but by the Devil. To reach to the domain of God and overcome an endless cycle of sinful and blind reincarnation, adherents needed to renounce worldly pleasure and ambitions in order to become Perfects – wise ascetics who would transcend the evil world and enter the pure world of heaven. It was a joyful grouping, which apparently generated many ideas that would appeal to new age devotees at present, though in fact little is known about their beliefs and practices as no writings survive. Left to themselves and an easy-going count – the first in a bewildering succession of Raymonds involved in the conflict – the Cathars thrived for several generations to the growing alarm of Rome, where the Popes were refining a standardized Christian ideology as a power base to challenge the legitimacy of secular leaders.

In this context, given Raymond's passivity and the enticements of a crusade far closer to France than the Near East (i.e. instant redemption of their sins and the opportunity for landless aristocrats to gain fiefs), it was only a matter of time before the Papacy focused on stamping out what it regarded as a heretical movement. Once the ax fell, the crusaders attacked the Cathars with an unrivaled brutality, wiping out entire villages and opening major cities, such as Caracassone, to takeover.

This is a sad story and defining moment, not just for the expansion of the French Crown, but also as a testing ground for the development of the Inquisition, which arguably led to the totalitarian ideologies of the 20^th century, at least in the methods employed to guard the “purity” of their societies. As such, this is one of the most important episodes in European history.

After having truly loved the author's Sea of Faith, I was a bit disappointed with this book: it lacked a certain density, offered little on the Medieval context, and concentrated on stories at the expense of a deeper analysis.