Handbook

The medieval period is often stereotyped as an ‘Age of Faith’, a time when power-hungry religious institutions imposed their beliefs and practices on an uneducated and unquestioning populace. But what did medieval people really believe? Could they adopt different ways of thinking that contradicted, challenged, and rejected orthodox beliefs and practices? What were the risks of doing so—and why could this even lead to death? In this topic, students will explore the history of heresy in the Middle Ages and investigate how medieval religious authorities attempted to reform or eradicate those whose beliefs departed from the mainstream. Although much of the topic will focus on the emergence and violent persecution of heretical movements in the Latin West, especially by the Inquisition, students will also learn about heresy in the context of medieval Judaism and Islam, religions which were no less determined to stamp out unorthodoxy. Considering Christian, Jewish, and Muslim approaches to heresy together will provide students with insights into medieval philosophical ideas, perspectives, and texts from across the three main Abrahamic religions. By engaging with a wide range of primary sources and secondary scholarship, students will learn about diverse cultural perspectives and the complex historiographical debates surrounding the definition, existence, evolution, and repression of medieval heresies.