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Waldensians, Waldenses or Vaudois are names for a Christian spiritual movement of the later Middle Ages, descendants of which still exist in various regions. Over time, the denomination joined the Genevan or Reformed branch of Protestantism. About the earlier history of the Waldenses considerable uncertainty exists because of a lack of extant source material.[1] They were persecuted as heretical before the 16th century, endured near annihilation in the 17th century,[2] and were then confronted with organized and generalized discrimination in centuries that followed.[3][4][5] There are active congregations in Europe, South America, and North America. The contemporary and historic Waldensian spiritual heritage includes proclaiming the Gospel, serving the marginalized, promoting social justice, fostering inter-religious work, and advocating respect for religious diversity and freedom of conscience.[6] The earliest Waldensians believed in poverty and austerity, promoting true poverty, public preaching and the personal study of the scriptures.[1] The sect originated in the late 12th century as the Poor Men of Lyons, a band organized by Peter Waldo, a wealthy merchant of Lyon, who gave away his property around 1177 and went about preaching apostolic poverty as the way to perfection.[1] In 1179, they went to Rome, where Pope Alexander III blessed their life but forbade preaching without authorization from the local clergy.[7] They disobeyed and began to preach according to their own understanding of scripture. Seen by the Roman Catholic Church as unorthodox, they were formally declared heretics by Pope Lucius III in 1184 and by the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215.[7] In 1211 more than 80 were burned as heretics at Strasbourg[who?], beginning several centuries of persecution that nearly destroyed the sect. Part of their legacy is recognized as works of the writer Henri Arnaud. The Waldensian Church of Italy has survived to the present day. Some groups of Mennonites and Baptists in the attempt to trace apostolic succession through the Waldenses, claim that the Waldenses history extends back to the apostolic church.[1] Many Roman Catholic and mainstream Protestant scholars contest that this has no basis in fact.[1][7][5] The mainstream academic view is that the Waldensians were followers of Peter Waldo (or Valdes or Vaudes) and that any similarity in doctrine between the Waldensians and the early Christians is not necessarily the result of direct ancestry.[1][7][5]
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