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The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions Further reading

Beghards

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2008 | Copyright

Beghards , religious associations of men in Europe, organized similarly to the Beguines . They resembled a Franciscan group, with whom they were later often confused. Of unknown origin, they first appeared at Louvain in 1220 and soon spread throughout the Netherlands and into Germany, France, and Italy. Although they survived into the 15th cent., they were from the beginning unpopular and mistrusted. The Beghards were condemned by the Council of Vienne (1311), allegedly for teaching that those who gain perfection in this life cannot commit sin and therefore cannot be blamed for any act. This idea was foreshadowed in the Albigensian teachings. The Beghards were also influenced by the pantheism of a mystical sect, the Brothers of the Free Spirit, which flourished about Cologne.

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Beghards

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | | Copyright

Beghards (lay Christian movements): see RHENO-FLEMISH SPIRITUALITY.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Beghards." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Beghards." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Beghards.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Beghards." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Beghards.html

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