Who were the Waldenses and what did they stand for?
Waldenses, also spelled Valdenses, also called Waldensians, French Vaudois, Italian Valdesi, members of a Christian movement that originated in 12th-century France, the devotees of which sought to follow Christ in poverty and simplicity.
What did the Waldenses sacrifice for the Bible?
The Waldenses had sacrificed their worldly prosperity for the truth’s sake, and with persevering patience they toiled for their bread. Every spot of tillable land among the mountains was carefully improved; the valleys and the less fertile hillsides were made to yield their increase.
How did the Waldenses preserve the Bible?
Villages were rebuilt, exiles returned, and truth was preserved. The youth memorized entire books of the Bible in order to preserve its words when its pages could not be protected. They lived and died for their religion, never allowing suffering to stifle spirituality, and for centuries, they hung on.
What were the beliefs of the Waldensians?
Q: What did Waldensians believe? Waldensians condemned the Catholic clergy as being unworthy of holding religious office. They also insisted on literal interpretations of the Bible and the right to read the Bible for oneself. They were pacifists and did not swear.
What was the heresy of Waldensians?
Soon after being deemed heretics, the Waldensians became heretical in their beliefs, primarily over the church’s association with wealth, divinity, and power; they rejected the authority of priests, as divine communicators with God, while chosing to base their own on individual merit.
Who were Vaudois Christians?
The Vaudois were members of a Christian sect founded at Lyon in 1179 by Pierre Valdo. They only admitted belief in the Bible, especially the Apostles of early Christianity. They refused the sacraments and the cult of Saints, and they established their own clergy. The Vaudois were excommunicated in 1184.
Why are the Waldensians heretics?
What is the Vaudois?
Vaudois definition An inhabitant of the Swiss canton of Vaud. noun.
What did the Waldensians believe about the papacy?
They rejected what they perceived as the idolatry of the Catholic Church and considered the Papacy as the Antichrist of Rome. The “La nobla leyczon” (“the noble lesson”), written in the Occitan language, gives a sample of the medieval Waldensian belief.
What is the Waldensian view of the Bible?
The Waldensians loved the Bible and insisted that the Bible be their sole authority; at the same time, they publicly criticized the corruption of the Roman Catholic clergy.
Who were the Waldenses and why should we care?
The Waldenses were not “heretics.” They were in the darkness of Catholicism and then bravely abandoned that apostasy finding their way into the light of God’s Word. They were faithful truth-seekers and some of the first in Bible translation, Bible teaching, and trying to live a simple Christian life.
Were the Waldenses heretics?
The Waldenses and their children possessed a strong Bible culture and could quote large portions of the Scriptures. The Waldenses were not “heretics.” They were in the darkness of Catholicism and then bravely abandoned that apostasy finding their way into the light of God’s Word.