Historical Parallels to the Charismatic Renewal

Chapter Eight

While it is true that the Phrygian Heresy is the closest historical heresy to the Pentecostal/Charismatic errors, there have been other heresies that give insight into the false claims of the Renewal and the dangerous spiritual practices that are practiced therein.

In this chapter, we will consider the Albigensian Heresy, which offers a strikingly similar historical parallel that sheds light on the danger of one of the foundational practices of the Renewal.¹

Albigensianism

The Albigensian Heresy, also known as the Cathar Heresy², arose in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in Southern France. Father John Hardon, SJ described it in the following way:

A modified form of the Manichaean heresy… It claimed that a good deity created the world of the spirit, and an evil god the material world, including the human body, which is under its control. The good deity sent Jesus Christ, as a creature, to deliver human souls from their imprisonment. Albigensians favoured suicide and advocated abstaining from marriage. A crusade was organized against them as a menace to society, and was opposed by Raymond of Toulouse. In Belgium, France, and Germany the war against them continued even after their defeat, contrary to the wishes of Pope Innocent III. By the fifteenth century they had disappeared as a political force, but their Manichaean ideas reappeared in the Reformation.³

Manichaeism was a heresy that arose in Persia in the third century and is named after the founder, who was called Manes. It was, for all intents and purposes, a Gnostic heresy in that it included aspects of Christian revelation, as well as secretive aspects of completely fabricated philosophy. It gained ground over the centuries and was active during the time of Saint Augustine (4th and 5th centuries) — Augustine himself was a Manichaean before his conversion.

The followers of Manes operated like Freemasons, in that there were various echelons or levels of initiation for adherents who dove deeper into the practice. There were those on the lower level of initiation who were informed of certain “mysteries” and those above them who had been fully initiated after they were selected by their leaders to become “perfected.” The followers of Manes did not evangelize like Christians, as they happily reserved their teachings for an exclusive group that they would hand-select out of prominent and intelligent men; this is why Augustine was selected, as he was a renowned orator and thinker who was not yet a Christian.

In any event, the heresy reemerged as Albigensianism some centuries later and gained momentum, to the point, as Father Hardon said, where a Crusade was called to deal with the upheaval.

Now, on the surface, it may not seem like there are similarities between the Renewal and the Albigensian Hersesy, but upon further investigation, we see striking similarities.

To start, both the Renewal and the Albigensian heresy are spiritualist movements, which is to say they rely on initiation into the trend by non-biblical spiritual practices that are purported to effect great changes. The Cathars rejected the sacraments outright, whereas the Charismatics do not; however, in both groups, we find that emphasis is laid on private religious experience as evidence of the truth of the spirituality.

Like the Albigensians, Charismatics cannot rely on Catholic Tradition for their theology. Therefore, they follow the heresies of particular founders who introduced novel heresies into the Christian milieu. The Charismatics follow the Pentecostals, who follow Parham and his predecessors, who revived the heresy of Montanus, and the Albigensians revived the ancient heresy of Manes.

In addition, both movements promise a “perfection” of their adherents that is inconsistent with Catholic doctrine. The Albigensians promised that fully initiated members would be perfected and freed from a desire to be enslaved to material reality, which was the logical conclusion of their dualism. Now, their errors led them to the point of suicide in many cases, and I do not pretend to say that Charismaticism is a suicidal cult. However, it is the logic of Renewal theology that adherents receive “special” gifts and powers from God that set them apart from other Christians, and we might say that this implies that they are the “true” Christians. Whether a Charismatic proponent would say as much does not matter, because the logic of the movement says it all.

Think about it: how else should we view the promises of the Charismatic Renewal, namely that participants will receive the same gifts as the Apostles? I do not accuse Charismatics per se of being prideful, but it is the height of pride to believe that God has illuminated a select few individuals with hidden and special graces, who will convert the masses by alleged “extraordinary” signs and wonders which are, in reality, entirely fabricated and deceitful.

Roughly 1600 years ago, Saint Augustine said:

Who in our day expects that those on whom hands are laid so that they may receive the Holy Spirit should forthwith speak with tongues.... These signs were adapted to the times. For there behooved to be that betokening of the Spirit in all tongues to show that the Gospel of God was to run through all the tongues over the earth. But that thing was done for the betokening, and it has passed away.⁴

Nevertheless, Charismatics are convinced that the charismata have returned in abundance, and they are the recipients! Furthermore, they believe they receive illumination from the Holy Ghost to converse with the tongues of angels! It is not a stretch to accuse the Renewal of promising adherents initiation into a perfected group of “super” Christians who have a more direct and profound relationship with the Holy Ghost than all others. How else could you describe someone who is more “angelic” than other people?

Charismatics may not say with the Albigensians, “Come to our separate cult to learn the true mysteries.” But, by their errors and practices, they say, “Come pray with us, and we will show you the most excellent and powerful way to pray to God, and you will receive special powers from God that will equip you to perform miracles!”

It should also be noted that, as you may recall, the Pentecostal movement was an outgrowth of the wider Holiness Movement, which promised a “Second Blessing” that came with the promise that true believers would be imputed with absolute righteousness and miraculously delivered from all sinfulness. So, we can, in a true sense, say that the Renewal does promise spiritual perfection by initiation into the heresy. Both the Albigensians and the Charismatics do, in fact, have their “perfecti.”

Laying of Hands, Impartation and Spiritual Baptism