A medieval Christian sect associated with pantheism and radical free thought.
Religion: Christianity
Denomination: Christian Gnosticism
Founder: Amalric of Bena
Founded: 12th century
Ended: 13th century
Location: France
The Amalricians emerged as a distinct heretical sect towards the late 12th century, founded by Amaury de Bène or de Chartres, a French cleric and academic at the University of Paris. The sect was named after its founder and became known for its controversial theological views that significantly diverged from orthodox Christianity. Amaury de Bène, who passed away between 1204 and 1207, laid the doctrinal foundation for the Amalricians, promoting a form of pantheism that asserted a unity between God and the universe. This belief fundamentally challenged the Christian distinction between the Creator and creation, suggesting instead that God is in everything and that everything essentially is God.
This theological stance led the Amalricians to reject the sacrament of Transubstantiation, as they believed God was already present in all things, thus negating the need for the bread and wine to become the body and blood of Christ. Their doctrine blurred the lines between good and evil, proposing that since all things are of God, traditional moral distinctions were irrelevant. They also held unique views on the Holy Trinity, envisioning historical periods dominated by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, respectively. They believed that while the Father and Son had their epochs, the age of the Holy Spirit had begun with their era, signaling a new spiritual dispensation that would involve direct guidance by the Holy Spirit, rendering the existing ecclesiastical structure and sacraments obsolete.
The sect’s views led to a significant ecclesiastical backlash. Detected by ecclesiastical authorities with the aid of Peter, Bishop of Paris, and Chevalier Guérin, an adviser to the king, the Amalricians were subjected to a council convened by bishops and scholars from the University of Paris in 1210. This council adjudicated the fate of the Amalricians, leading to the pardon of many followers but the imprisonment or execution by fire of the sect’s leaders who refused to recant their beliefs. In a further condemnation, in 1215, the Fourth Lateran Council and Pope Innocent III denounced Amaury de Bène’s teachings as heretical, and even posthumously, Amaury was excommunicated, his remains exhumed, and desecrated.
The Amalrician sect quickly dwindled following these condemnations, with its radical theological innovations leaving a controversial legacy within the history of Christian heretical movements. This sect’s belief system, particularly its pantheistic worldview and rejection of established sacramental practices, marked a significant deviation from mainstream Christian doctrine, reflecting the broader medieval tensions between emerging individual spiritual interpretations and the orthodoxy enforced by the church hierarchy.
image via Wikimedia Commons
