The Waldensian Dissent: Persecution and Survival, c.1170-c.1570 (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks) [Paperback]

Gabriel Audisio (Author), Claire Davison (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0521559847 | ISBN-13: 978-0521559843

The Poor of Lyons, whom their detractors called "Waldensians"--after the name of their founder Waldo (or Vaudès)--first emerged around 1170 and formed a sect that embraced evangelism, prophesy and poverty. Challenging prohibition by following the Scripture to the last letter, they were condemned as heretics. The Waldensians constituted the only medieval heresy to have survived to the dawn of the so-called "modern" period. Their tale of simple devotion mixed with a fierce tenacity serves to illuminate aspects of religious belief that have persisted to the present day.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This smoothly translated work, published 11 years ago in France, was intended 'to make acessible to the "enlightened amateur" the results of the latest research' on the 'Poor of Lyon' or/and the Waldensians...the volume is highly commended." G. H. Shriver, Choice

"The paleographic insights of this book are both fascinating and useful." Comitatus

"...this will undoubtedly be a very useful classroom volume, finally allowing anglophone students to gain a better understanding of the lives of these 'disenters.'" The Catholic Historical Review

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521559847
• ISBN-13: 978-0521559843
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,490,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a comprehensive guide, August 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Waldensian Dissent: Persecution and Survival, c.1170-c.1570 (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks) (Paperback)

If you're interested in Medieval Heresy, you've probably noticed that a good book on the Waldensian dissent is hard to find. Audisio's book is excellent if you want to fill in the gap. It's very well organised and user-friendly. It offers a comprehensive explanation of the movement's history and doctrine. Don't expect an astonishing critical insight, but as a textbook this is everything you could wish for.

2.0 out of 5 stars Misleading Book Title..., December 15, 2011

By 

Amy G. Grossman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Waldensian Dissent: Persecution and Survival, c.1170-c.1570 (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks) (Paperback)

I read the introduction of this book and it was enough to clearly determine that this is A Catholic Account of the Waldensian Dissent.... Perhaps this is a well written book from the historical perspective of the Catholic church, but this, if the introduction is true to the book, by no means is an objective investigation of who these people were. There is much conjecture, assumption and even pretentiousness evident within the introduction. An excellent counterbalance to read would be J.A. Wylie's book, The Waldenses or Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Another book, which is a first hand account of the atrocities committed by the Papacy against the people of the Waldensian valleys in the mid 1600's is The General History of the Evangelical Churches of the Piedmontes Valleys, by Jean Leger.

The author is quick to point out in the introduction that there are very few documents that have survived from these people dismissing them as "peasants, not scholars or men of influence who cultivated the written word," but this is the same style of pretentious depreciation that underlies the real reason for the all but complete loss of Waldensian archives. The Catholic inquisition that swept over Europe burned any text it deemed "heretical," and these people were so reviled by the papacy that their writings were highly prized to stoke the flames of righteous ignorance. The Voudois, Waldenses, Poor of Lyons, whatever you would like to call them were one of the first peoples of Europe to receive the Greek and Hebrew texts of the Bible and to then translate it and disseminate it with fervor across Europe. There were indeed Waldensian scholars, however, not from the halls of university but within the study of the Bible. The inquisition did much to erase this history, but thankfully enough has indeed survived through the relentless efforts of those "dissenters" who survived, such as the likes of Joshua Gianavel, and those who sympathized with them enough to aid them in their quest to survive and spread the gospel in it's truest form in as many languages as they could provide translation.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read!, April 29, 2009

By 

Tyler (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Waldensian Dissent: Persecution and Survival, c.1170-c.1570 (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks) (Paperback)

This book was required by a professor of Religious Studies at the University of Iowa and it was a great read.