Vaudois Christians

The historical evidence demonstrating the twelfth century origins of the Waldenses is irrefutable. In what appears to be a common tactic, those who cling to the fantasy of apostolic Waldenses will often counter with oblique references to "Vaudois Christians". True to this form, in his article Paul's Mission To Spain/Italy And The Origin Of The Vaudois/Waldenses - Part II Nathan Barker makes heavy use of the dubious works of E.H. Broadbent's The Pilgrim Church and J.V. Kirkland's A Condensed History of the Early Church in an effort to make the claim that Vaudois actually preceded the Waldenses. He says the following:

There are various opinions as to the origin of the name "Waldenses." The most popular opinion is that they derived their names from the Valleys [sic] of Piedmont. Dr. McLean, the learned translator of Mosheim's "History" in a note on Mosheim's account of the Waldenses, who supposes that they derived their name from Peter Waldo (A.D. 1160) says, "We may venture to affirm the Contrary [sic], with the learned Beza and other writers of note; for it seems evident from the best record that "Valdus" derived his name from the true Valdenses of Piedmont, who [sic] doctrine he "ADOPTED" and who were known by the name "Vaudois" and "Valdenses' " before he or his immediate followers existed."

If the Valdenses had derived their name from any eminent teacher, it would have been from Valdo, who was remarkable for the purity of his doctrine in the 9th century, and who was the contemporary and chief counselor of "Berengarius"; but the truth is that they derived their name from their Valley's [sic] in Piedmont, which is their language, and are called 'Vauz'hence' Vaudois,'[sic] hence "Vaudois," their true name. Hence, Peter Waldo, or as others call him, "John"---of Lyons, France was called in Latin, "Valdus," because he had "ADOPTED" their doctrine; hence the terms "Valdenses" and "Waldenses" used by those who write in English or Latin in the place of "Vaudois." (see also his article "History of the Apostolic Christians"

Instead of relying on what Nate, Broadbent, Kirkland, or anyone else says about the Vaudois, I got most of my information from Waldensian scholars themselves. I did so because they are more reliable sources than non-Waldensians, each of whom have their own particular apostolic agenda to promote. I read Emilio Comba's History of the Waldenses of Italy and Georgio Tourn's The Waldenses: The First 800 Years. At the time of his writing, Georgio Tourn was pastor of the Waldensian Church in Torre Pellice, having also served in Massello, Pinerolo, and at the Agape Center near Prali. He wrote an Italian edition of Calvin's Institutes, an Annotated New Testament, and a biography of Deitrich Bonhoeffer. He has also been editor of the Waldensian weekly paper and was vice-president of the Society for Waldensian Studies in Torre Pellice. Emilio Comba was a Waldensian scholar who wrote his book in 1889.

Vaudois Talking Points

Georgio Tourn addresses the source of the confusion in his author's preface by pointing out that the term "Waldensian" not only refers to a group of religious believers but also a region:

"The term Waldensian, for those who have some acquaintance with it, calls to mind two distinct but closely related realities: a Church and a region. First of all a Church, one which has been Protestant in Italy for centuries..." Tourn leaves no doubt, however, that the religious group started with Peter Waldo: "Waldensian is also an adjective related to a place: two valleys in western Piedmont which constitute a v-shaped region pointing to the city of Pinerolo, and along or through which run the Germanasca, Chisone and Pellice rivers. To virtually everyone knowledgeable, these uplands extending to the French border are the Waldensian valleys. Yet it is not a religious community dating from the Reformation, nor a little sector of Piedmont geography that originated the term Waldensian. Long before Luther or Calvin, or before Pinerolo was a city, the name was already used for the followers of an evanglical Christian, a certain Valdes or Valdesio..." (underlining added)

The Library of Congress Cataloging in Publications Data on the inside of Comba's book says it is a reprint of the 1889 ed. published by Truslove & Shirley, London. (ISBN 0-404-16119-7). Most importantly, it also says it is a "Translation of Histoire des Vaudois" (underlining added). In other words, Comba did not make a distinction between Vaudois and Waldensians.

On the inside of Tourn's book is a description of the cover:

"A group of Waldensian worshippers, part of a Flemish miniature of the 15th Century, from the Traite de la Vauderie (underlining added). The publisher wishes to express his thanks to professor Enea Balmas, who kindly consented to the reproduction of this rare miniature."

Therefore, in a single paragraph we see a perfect example of how Waldenses are equated with the Vaudois, not distinguished from them.

Even the glossary included in the online version of Broadbent's Pilgrim Church equates Vaudois with Waldenses using the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition :

Vaudois: Wal·den·ses (wòl-dèn¹sêz, wôl-) plural noun
A Christian sect of dissenters that originated in southern France in the late 12th century and adopted Calvinist doctrines in the 16th century. Also called Vaudois.
[Medieval Latin Waldênsês, after Peter Waldo.]

Modern dictionaries define Vaudois as the same as the Waldenses:

Yahoo! Education Vaudois
ETYMOLOGY:
French, from Old French vaudeis, from Medieval Latin Waldnss ; see Waldenses

Merriam-Webster
Main Entry: Vau·dois
Pronunciation: vO-'dwä, 'vO-"
Function: noun plural
Etymology: Middle French, from Medieval Latin Valdnss
:WALDENSES

Charles W. Arbuthnot, of the American Waldensian Aid Society in New York, writes in the introduction to Tourn's book about the "800th anniversary in 1974" of the Waldensian Church. Recalling that the title of the book is The Waldensians: The First 800 Years, 1974 - 800 = an origin in 1174 A.D., not the 1st Century.

I can find no compelling evidence that the Vaudois were called by such a name as a religious group until after Peter Waldo and his followers appeared. The argument that Waldo took his name from them instead of the other way around is unconvincing because that name didn't become prominent until Waldo and his people were banished from Lyons. Comba points out that "hunted out of their native town [Lyons], the Waldenses discovered more than one country suited for their adoption." (37)

Buck's Theological Dictionary quotes Mosheim's Institutes of Ecclesiastical History: "Peter, an opulent merchant of Lyons, surnamed Valdensis, or Validisius, from Vaux, or Waldum, a town in the marquisate of Lyons..." In other words, Waldo's name may have come from his living in a town called Vaux (or Waldum in Latin).

The Waldensians were initially known as the Poor of Lyons, precisely because they began in Lyons, France, not isolated among the hills of northern Italy. Tourn quotes a 13th Century report from Church archives found in Carcassonne, France which refers to them precisely as the Poor of Lyons. Tourn mentions that they were known early on as the "Poor in Spirit".

Tourn states that the Waldensians/Vaudois not only originated in France but also wanted to stay there: "They were and wished to remain citizens of Lyons, one of the great cities of western Europe, the place where crusades passed, where St. Bernard had preached, the site of a great cathedral in the memory of St. John. This was their world and it was here that they wanted to live their vocation." (9)

Roman Catholic authorities called Peter Waldo by his Latin name of "Valdensius". Tourn says this of Waldo: "We do know that the vernacular of his Latin name was Valdes or Vaudes." Note the similarity of the name "Vaudes" with "Vaudois". This is because "Vaudois" is the French version of the Latin name.

The notion that Waldo became known as Valdes because he "adopted the doctrines" of the apostolic Vaudois lacks supporting evidence. Tourn relates three accounts of Waldo's conversion, none of which say anything about any contact with pre-existing Vaudois from the Alps. One story is that he heard a minstrel's song about Saint Alexis, who left his family's wealth to live a life of hardship and sacrifice. Waldo was deeply affected by this story and chose to do something of the same. Another account had Waldo receiving a revelation after reading Matthew 19:21, in which Jesus told the rich young man to sell all and follow Him. Yet another story was that he was so upset by a friend's sudden unexpected death that he decided to give up his comfortable life in order to dedicate his life to God.

Durand of Osca became "the theologian of the group" after being attracted to the Poor of Lyons, yet he did not become known as Durand Valdes. I was unable to discover an occasion in medieval times of a man changing his last name to that of the religious group whose doctrine he "adopted".

Comba admits in his book that the Waldensian/Vaudois movement "descended from a simple layman of Lyons" (12) and that "...it cannot be proved that the Waldenses existed before him [Waldo]." (13)

Robert Robinson's Ecclesiastical Researches, published in 1792, is held in high regard by apostolic successionists like Broadbent. Unfortunately for them, it relies on fraudulent evidence provided by Samuel Morland, who produced documents allegedly from the year 1120 which proved that the Vaudois existed before Waldo and even had a copy of the Bible before Waldo had it translated. These documents show the alleged Vaudois Bible divided into chapters, which didn't happen until over one hundred years later (from Facts and Documents Illustrative of the History, Doctrine, and Rites of the Ancient Albigenses and Waldenses). In fact, these documents were later proven to be from Martin Bucer's teachings in the 16th Century. Robinson's book is also an apologia for Unitarianism, something most Trinitarian Christians would avoid appealing to as an authoritative source.

Baptist scholar James Edward McGoldrick says Waldenses and Vaudois are the same group. Even though he could have every reason to want to prove apostolic succession of the Baptists through the Waldenses/Vaudois, his 1994 book Baptist Successionism: a crucial crusade in Baptist history thoroughly debunks this myth.

McGoldrick writes, "Although there is almost unanimous agreement among reputable scholars that the Waldenses originated with the work of Waldo, and despite the fact that modern Waldense historians themselves concur with this opinion, succesionists of various affiliations have inducted them into the line of "true" churches which have maintained Gospel purity since New Testament times." (73) See also my brief article Waldensians in Their Own Words for statements by Waldensians regarding their own history.

Comba says that Waldo's name "is properly called Valdez or Valdesius" (19). He admits the diversity of opinion regarding such origins, writing, "Some think that Waldo originated from Dauphiny. Others are inclined to believe he was born further off, even in Piedmont, where there were plenty of mountains and wooded dales. Finally, we are reminded that the Canton de Vaud in Switzerland was so called before this period...." (19), but he concludes that "nevertheless, the question is not settled. Let us, therefore, leave it open, and return to Lyons where we find Waldo." In other words, the most you can say about Waldo's surname is that its origins were geographical, not theological.

The Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary equates Waldenses with Vaudois in its definition: "A movement arising in the last quarter of the 12th century in the south of France, when Peter Waldo, a rich merchant of Lyons, distributed his wealth among the poor and went forth as a preacher of voluntary poverty, likewise preaching the doctrines of the Christ. He had the Bible translated into the language of the Provence, which he and his followers read and interpreted in their own way. This brought upon them the wrath of the clergy...they survived by fleeing into the mountains and secluded valleys of the Alps. Nevertheless the persecution continued inasmuch as their doctrines were called heretical. Many adherents joined the various reforming movements which arose in Europe from time to time -- such as the Hussite, Lutheran, and Protestant -- although a center remained in the valleys of the Vaudois even to the present day."

The paragraph of Nate's article I quoted above says that Waldo "was remarkable for the purity of his doctrine in the 9th century". I can find no reputable scholar who places Peter Waldo as early as the 9th Century. Not even Ellen G. White, founder of the Seventh Day Adventist sect does this in her polemic The Great Controversy. If the intent is to suggest that there was a different person named "Valdo", there is no evidence to that effect, either. Incidently, she also uses Vaudois and Waldensian interchangeably in the fourth chapter: "The Vaudois churches, in their purity and simplicity, resembled the church of apostolic times". Note that she says the Vaudois resembled the apostolic church, not that they were the apostolic church.

William Stephens Gilly wrote in 1823 his highly sympathetic "Narrative of an Excursion to the Mountains of Piedmont, in the year 1823, and Researches among the Vaudois or Waldenses, Protestant inhabitants of the Cottian Alps" (emphasis added). In the book there is an appendix entitled ""Notice of Publications relating to the Vaudois (Waldenses) during the three last centuries;" Therefore, Gilly equates Vaudois with Waldenses.

The idea that a group of believers isolated in the Alps existed, teaching and reading their own bible since the Apostles is false. W.S. Gilly has shown, through meticulous examination of the original manuscripts, that the earliest translation of the Bible from the Latin to the common language in this area only go as far back as the 12th Century (from The Romaunt Version of the Gospel According to St. John: With an Introductory History of the Version of the New Testament Anciently in Use Among The Old Waldenses and Remarks on the Texts of the Dublin, Paris, Grenoble, Zurich, and Lyons MSS of That Version., xvi-xvii)

Gilly himself identifies the practical problems with the idea of an apostolic Vaudois Christian group with their own bible translation by pointing out that illiteracy was rampant and people didn't have the money to by a bible, much less the means of mass-producing it. It was a time "when letters were taught to the few only, and books were beyond the purchase of the many." (ibid., iii)

Historian William Jones points out that the Roman Catholic Bible was the only available Scripture for the time in question: "The Latin Vulgate Bible was the only edition of the Scriptures at that time in Europe; but that language was inaccessible to all, except one in an hundred of its inhabitants. Happily for Waldo, his situation in life enabled him to surmount that obstacle . . . .[H]e either himself translated, or procured some one else to translate the four Gospels into French," (History of the Christian Church, vol. II, pp.7, 9, 10; 5th edition, 1826). [emphasis added]

Baptist Thomas Armitage concurs: "He [Waldo] employed Stephen of Ansa and Bernard Ydross to translate the Gospels from the Latin Vulgate of Jerome into the Romance dialect for the common people," (History of the Baptists, p.295).

The above 2 quotes were taken from a good article written by Doug Kutilek The Truth About the Waldensian Bible and the Old Latin Version. In his article he thoroughly discredits the claims of an earlier bible translation by anyone before the 12th Century. He even points out that, after the Waldenses had their own translation and brought it to Rome for approval by Pope Alexander III that "it is highly unlikely that the Waldensians would have submitted such a version to the pope for approval if it were not Vulgate-based." In other words, there was no other Bible, translated and transcribed and possessed by a mythical group of proto-Protestants hidden away in the northern Italian alps until "rediscovered" in the 12th Century.

Finally, Gilly also addresses the false information which has led certain unscrupulous historians to assign an earlier origin to the Waldenses than what is actually true:

Gilly also says that "there are many documents called Waldensian, which passed through the hands of Perrin, the historian of the Waldenses and Albigenses, previously to the year 1619, the date of his book. Perrin made a very unfaithful use of some of these documents, in order that the doctrines and discipline of the ancient Waldenses might appear to assimilate more closely with those of the reformed churches of Germany, France, and Switzerland, than was really the case. Perrin ignorantly or fraudulently gave to others the dates of 1100, 1120, and 1130, which internal evidence proves to be false. Leger, Morland, and other writers on the subject, misled by Perrin, followed in the same wrong path; and such blunders have had the effect of throwing a shade of discredit on the whole collection." (ibid., xxxvi-vii)

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RESOURCES

History of the Waldenses of Italy
Emilio Comba, D.D. Waldensian Theological College
Florence, Italy London: Truslove & Shirley, 7. St. Paul's Churchyard: 1889.

The Waldensians : The First 800 Years
Georgio Tourn
Torino, Italy: Claudiana Editrice, 1980.

The Romaunt Version of the Gospel According to St. John
William Stephens Gilly, D.D., Canon of Durham and Vicor of Norham
London: John Murry, Albemarle Street, 1848.

Baptist Successionism: a crucial crusade in Baptist history
James Edward McGoldrick, Cedarville College
Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1994.