Lesson 31: Innocent and the Inquisition

The ‘bright’ and ‘dark’

Apostolic Church

Apostolic Fathers

Church Councils

Church History

Ca. 30AD 590 AD 1517 AD

Golden Age of Church Fathers

Ancient Church History Medieval Church History Modern Church History

The Pre-Reformers

The First Medieval Pope

The Rise of the Holy Roman Empire

The Crusades

The Papacy in Decline

Innocent III (1198-1216)

I. The Papacy in Italy and Europe

Vicar of Christ A person who stands in someone else’s place

Lothario Conti b. 1160

1190 Cardinal Deacon of Rome

1197 Elected Pope

“No! We are the successors of Peter the prince of the apostles, but we are not his vicar, nor are we the vicar of any man or any apostle; we are the vicar of Jesus Christ Himself”

Fredrick II (1210-1250)

Battle of Bouvines (NE France)

Result: weakened German monarch

John of England (1199-1216)

Interdict

“The English monarchy, in many ways the most successfulin Europe, lay prostrate in the dust at the feet ofInnocent III.” Needham, V 2, pg 305

Phillip Augustus of France (1180-1223)

II. Internal Church Affairs

Legates appointed by Pope; answers only to him

Doctrinal: TransubstantiationCondemn heresies: Cathars and Waldensians

Institutionalized anti-Semitism

Fourth Lateran Council 1215

The Dissenting or “Free Church” Tradition

1. Voluntary church membership

•Saw church as ‘gathered’ rather than ‘parish’•Church made up of ones experiencing the ‘new birth’

2. Adult baptism upon profession of faith

3. Separation from the world

•Mainline Christianity tended toward cultural captivity

•Dissenters called for radical obedience

4. Absolute separation of the church and state

5. Simplicity in church organization and worship

•Wary of hierarchy, ornate worship, vestments•Iconoclastic

III. The Church, It’s Adversaries and Inquisition

CatharsAlbigensians

“Pure Ones”

Outer group “believers”

Inner group “the perfect”

Albigensian Crusade

(1209-1229)

III. The Church, It’s Adversaries and Inquisition

“The beliefs and practices of the Cathars were basically identical with those of the Gnostics from the early Church period…” Dr. Needham

Waldo of Lyons

Valdes of Lyon

(?...c 1217)

•He commissioned the translation of several books of the Bible

•He abandoned his business and distributed his goods to the poor

“If you wish to be perfect, sell what you have and follow me” Mk. 10:22

“We have decided to live by the words of the Gospel, essentially that of the Sermon on the Mount, and the Commandments, that is, to live in poverty without concern for tomorrow. But we hold that also those who continue to live their lives in the world doing good will be saved.”

•He determined to preach the gospel in public

“It is better to obey God than man”

“Peter Waldo”

“The Poor”

Lux lucet in tenebris

Light Shining in Darkness

•Hear the Word of God

•Live in voluntary poverty

•Share (preach) the message

Barba or Uncle

1532 Synod of Chanforan: recognized Reformed movement

Why the Waldensians?

Teachers who went ‘2 x 2’ disguised as merchants

The Inquisition

Innocent III and the Franciscans

Franciscans Dominicans