The Waldensian Way to God
by Joseph Visconti
Pages: 576
Dimensions: 7.5 x 9.25
Category- RELIGION - General
Type : Paperback
ISBN : 9781591607922
Price : $35.99
The story of the Waldensians' faith and commitment begins in the late twelfth century when the followers of Peter Waldo chose to ignore the Church's decree against preaching without authority. Condemned for heresy, they left the city of Lyon and wandered the European countryside. Ruthlessly suppressed by the Inquisition and medieval crusades, their clandestine movement was reduced to a few enclaves by the time Protestant reformers from Switzerland arrived at their foremost settlements in the Cottian Alps between France and Italy. The basic compatibility between the pre-Reformation beliefs of the Waldensians and the ideas of the Swiss reformers eventually led to their adoption of the Calvinist form of Reformed Protestantism. However, by affirming their new faith, they became a conspicuous target for the forces of the Counter Reformation. Torture, imprisonment, exile, and martyrdom all became part of the heritage of the small but vibrant Waldensian Reformed Church that arose in the 1500s. The survival of the Waldensians down to the present, despite the numerous attempts to destroy their traditions and beliefs, is testimony that all things are possible through faith.
The author is a West Point graduate with subsequent master's degrees in European history and business administration. After serving in the army during the Vietnam War, he entered the business world but still found that something was drawing him to another purpose. It was then that he discovered a personal link to the Waldensians. Suddenly his mysterious penchant for tall mountains became clear. It was as if some genetic alarm had gone off reminding him that the Waldensians of the Alps were part of his heritage, compelling him to understand the hatred and animosity that had plagued his maternal ancestors for centuries after the Church of Rome labeled them heretics. His search led him to the lands of Hesse and Baden-Württemberg in Germany, and the remote valleys of the Cottian Alps in the Piedmont region of Italy.
- Subjects & Themes (344)
- Christian Life Family (343)
- Christian Life Personal Growth (332)
- Christian Ministry (332)
- Christian Life Devotional (322)
- Christian Theology (314)
- Christian Living (285)
- Inspiration & Personal Growth (256)
- Christian Education (222)
- Christian Life Love & Marriage (211)
