A History of Unbelief: Non-believers in the middle ages, Part 2

The video explores the concept of heresy in Western Catholicism, highlighting the public nature and challenge to authority that defines it. It discusses the Inquisition as a legal tool used to combat unbelief, often through severe punishment. Local accusations of unbelief were sometimes politically motivated, as seen in Visitation Records. Anticlericalism is examined, showing both radical and reformist views on the priesthood. The Middle Ages are portrayed as more heterodox than often believed, with a variety of individual beliefs and practices accepted by the church.

What distinguishes a heretic from a non-believer according to the text?

What was the role of the Inquisition in combating unbelief?

How did accusations of unbelief serve as a political tool in local communities?

What evidence is provided regarding people's attendance at church during the 14th and 15th centuries?

What expressions of anticlericalism are mentioned in the text?

What does the text suggest about the perception of the Middle Ages as a period of rigid belief?

How did the church respond to the variety of beliefs and practices among laypeople in the Middle Ages?