The Devil's World: Heresy and Society 1100-1300

by Andrew P. Roach

Exploring the relationship of heresy, dissent and society in the 12th and 13th Centuries, The Devil’s World shows how people made conscious choices between heresy and orthodoxy in the middle ages and were not afraid to exert their power as ‘consumers’ of religion. The book gives an account of all popular religious movements, looks at the threat that heresy presented to the Church and lay powers and considers the measures they took to deal with it. Ideal for students of medieval and religious history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval History

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 24, 2005

Reviews

[Christian Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly compelling book about how faith become commodified during the middle ages. The title is somewhat deceiving, it is not about Christian eschatology, but rather doctrinal choice (heresy) in the marketplace.

[Paige Bowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an awful title for a fairly compelling book about how faith became a consumer product.

[Taylor Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this was an interesting read, I fear Roach is so consumed by the economic aspect of the rise of heresy as it relates to the rise of consumerism, that he fails to see the greater web of significance.