Catharism

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/catharism

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the self-designation?Good Christians
2. What is the theological classification?Christian quasi-dualist and pseudo-Gnostic movement
3. Why did Cathars think there were two gods?They said the good god was the spiritual God of the New Testament, while the evil god made the material world and was like Satan.
4. How did the consolamentum help Cathars?The consolamentum was a special baptism given to people who were about to die, and it helped their soul leave the body and return to the good god.

Quasi-dualism: A belief system that acknowledges two fundamental principles, but one is often subordinate or less powerful.
Pseudo-Gnosticism: Beliefs that resemble Gnosticism but lack its full complexity or historical lineage.
Papal Legate: A personal representative of the Pope, often sent on important diplomatic or religious missions.
Inquisition: An ecclesiastical court established by the Catholic Church to investigate and prosecute heresies.