The story of the Waldensians is a story of devotion to the Scriptures, and of perseverance—a story that should inspire us all. Because of their origins in the distant 12th century, they have been called “the oldest evangelical Church”; because they became an embattled pocket of stubborn “heretics” in the valleys of the Piedmont Alps, unwilling to surrender their beliefs, they have been called the “Israel of the Alps.” The Waldensian story is fascinating, and legendary.
Only a few books have appeared in English about these Alpine Christians since the last century. If you have read, or heard, about the Waldensians before, you are probably aware that they are viewed as one of the evangelical lights in history before the Reformation, along with Wycliffe and Hus.
They are usually claimed as a pre-protestant Protestant movement. Yet, like these others, they were not enemies of the Catholic Church. They were a small group within the Church who desired a closer adherence to the Scriptures and a more consistent walk after the example of Christ and the Apostles. The Medieval Church was filled with such movements.
Though they were generally regular, faithful members of Catholic services (until the Reformation), they seem to have viewed the worldly Church establishment in its wealth and power as corrupt. They held religious meetings in their homes and had traveling spiritual leaders, the mysterious barba, who met with them to instruct them and take their confessions. For such things as these, in times when nonconformity could be an unpardonable sin they became the targets of numerous extermination campaigns. The events surrounding the famous massacre of Waldensians 1655 is a truly gripping drama in Church history.
Medieval movements to get back to Apostolic Christianity were common; it is remarkable, however, that the Waldensians have survived to this day. There were times when the severe persecution of the Inquisition, power-hungry political rulers, and bands of thieving soldiers threatened to erase them from the book of history. Fortunately for the whole Body of Christ this did not happen.
We hope this issue will be a source of strength to you as you read of the perseverance of the Waldensians. They overcame, and it says in Revelation 2:7, “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life.”
Our special thanks to Dr. Giorgio Bouchard, President of the Protestant Federation of Italy, and the other contributors to this issue; to Rev. Frank Gibson of the American Waldensian Society, who helped with this project a great deal, and to Dr. Albert de Lange, who assisted us with the pictures.
Copyright © 1989 by the author or Christianity Today/Christian History magazine. Click here for reprint information on Christian History.
