This is the first comprehensive account in English of the most feared and the most mysterious of medieval heretics. The Cathars of medieval Europe were so named, wrote one German theologian, because in their satanic rituals they kissed the backsides of black cats. Had he known his Greek, he would have recognized that the Cathars took their name from a word meaning "purified," but he certainly had a firm grasp on Christendom's official sentiments: the Cathars, members of various sects who rejected the opulence of Roman and Byzantine Christianity alike and took vows of poverty and chastity, were despised wherever their heresy traveled. Originating in Asia Minor and brought to Europe by way of Bulgaria, the rise of Catharism prompted the first recorded burnings at the stake in France, led to the establishment of the papal Inquisition and the Dominican order of monks who conducted it, and caused the deaths of untold thousands of men, women, and children over a three-century period from about 1200 to 1459, when the official Cathar church was outlawed in its final stronghold, Bosnia. Lambert writes with dry authority on the curious history of this doctrine and official response to it. --Gregory McNamee "Catharism was the most radical of medieval heresies. Since it touched most areas of Europe in some degree, research on its character and fortunes makes formidable demands on the learning and linguistic ability of any scholar who tackles it, not to mention demands also on his judgement. Malcolm Lambert, well known for his lucid and authoritative writings on medieval heresy, is a match for this challenging task. His new book, The Cathars , is to be welcomed as the most comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the subject now available in English." Alexander Murray, University College, London "Lambert's command of the literature and his ability to integrate it into a coherent narrative are unmatched. His book deserves to become the standard account of medieval Catharism." Medieval Review "This is the first comprehensive study in English of the most mysterious and radical of medieval heresies. Malcolm Lambert ... 'combines scholarly investigation with lucid narrative.'" TD Book Survey "Malcolm Lambert, with deep erudition allied to pristine sensitive prose, masterfully narrates [the] distinctive history [of] the cathars ... The Cathars ... is, quite simply, indispensible." Catholic Historical Review This is the first comprehensive account in English of the most feared and the most mysterious of medieval heretics. A crusade was launched to uproot them in the south of France, the Inquisition was developed to suppress them, and St Dominic founded his friars to preach against them. Their history and that of the medieval Church are inextricably mingled. This book puts the Cathars back into the context where they belong - that of medieval Catholicism. It studies the rise and fall of the heresy from the twelfth-century Rhineland to fifteenth-century Bosnia and the Church's counteraction, peaceful and violent. Within the exposition, Italian Cathars are given their rightful place, a chapter is devoted to the puzzle of the Bosnian Church, and perspective is given to Le Roy Ladurie's brilliant but wayward Montaillou . A final survey assesses the legacy of a heresy which still exerts its strange fascination. This book combines scholarly investigation with lucid narrative. It is, in short, historical writing at its best and likely to become the definitive account of a subject of enduring interest and importance. This is the first comprehensive account in English of the most feared and the most mysterious of medieval heretics. A crusade was launched to uproot them in the south of France, the Inquisition was developed to suppress them, and St Dominic founded his friars to preach against them. Their history and that of the medieval Church are inextricably mingled. This book puts the Cathars back into the context where they belong - that of medieval Catholicism. It studies the rise and fall of the heresy from the twelfth-century Rhineland to fifteenth-century Bosnia and the Church's counteraction, peaceful and violent. Within the exposition, Italian Cathars are given their rightful place, a chapter is devoted to the puzzle of the Bosnian Church, and perspective is given to Le Roy Ladurie's brilliant but wayward Montaillou . A final survey assesses the legacy of a heresy which still exerts its strange fascination. This book combines scholarly investigation with lucid narrative. It is, in short, historical writing at its best and likely to become the definitive account of a subject of enduring interest and importance. Malcolm Lambert was Reader in Medieval History at the University of Bristol until 1991 when he retired to devote himself to writing and research. His previous books are Franciscan Poverty (1961, reissued 1998) and Medieval Heresy (2nd edition, 1992). Used Book in Good C