Gundolfo or Gundulf is purported to be a teacher of

Proto-Protestant Proto-Protestantism, also called pre-Protestantism, refers to individuals and movements that propagated various ideas later associated with Protestantism before 1517, which historians usually regard as the starting year for the Reformation era ...

Christian doctrine Christian theology is the theology – the systematic study of the divine and religion – of Christianity, Christian belief and practice. It concentrates primarily upon the texts of the Old Testament and of the New Testament, as well as on Ch ...

s in the 11th century. Of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

origin, he was said to be active in the bishopric of Cambrai-Arras in northern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

(south of

Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...

) around 1046 during the episcopate of

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

Gerard of Florennes. Gundolfo was heavily influenced by the preaching and teaching of

Berengar of Tours Berengar of Tours (died 6 January 1088), in Latin Berengarius Turonensis, was an 11th-century French Christian theologian and archdeacon of Angers, a scholar whose leadership of the cathedral school at Chartres set an example of intellectual i ...

and his teaching about the supremacy of scripture. Gundolfo could himself be considered an early Berengarian. Gundulfo rejected the

sacraments A sacrament is a Christian rite which is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence, number and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of ...

and authority of the

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and claimed

salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

by a righteousness based on reading of the

scriptures Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They often feature a compilation or discussion of beliefs, ritual practices, moral commandments and ...

rather than on

dogma Dogma, in its broadest sense, is any belief held definitively and without the possibility of reform. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or Islam ...

. His teachings emphasized that salvation was achieved through a virtuous life of abandoning the world, restraining the appetites of the flesh, earning food by the labor of hands, doing no injury to anyone, and extending

charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

to everyone of their own faith. Following a lengthy sermon by Gerard, followers of Gundulfo recanted their radical beliefs and were received back into the Church. The source of Gundolfo's teachings is unknown but may be compared to

Catharism Catharism ( ; from the , "the pure ones") was a Christian quasi- dualist and pseudo-Gnostic movement which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France, between the 12th and 14th centuries. Denounced as a he ...

and to the

Waldensians The Waldensians, also known as Waldenses (), Vallenses, Valdesi, or Vaudois, are adherents of a church tradition that began as an ascetic movement within Western Christianity before the Reformation. Originally known as the Poor of Lyon in the l ...

. Details surrounding the remainder of Gundolfo's life are scarce, including when and where he died. The later preacher and reformer known as

Peter of Bruys Peter of Bruys (also known as Pierre De Bruys or Peter de Bruis; ''fl.'' 1117 – c.1131) was a medieval French religious teacher. He was called a heresiarch (leader of a heretical movement) by the Roman Catholic Church because he opposed ...

was said to be influenced by him.

Historicity

Because Gundolfo and his followers are only known from a single, uncorroborated text from around 1200 in Cîteaux, a prominent monastic house battling heresy, there are doubts as to the historical veracity of Gundolfo's existence. It is possible that the narrative of Gundulfo's followers being questioned and corrected by Bishop Gerard was a rhetorical framing device for the treatise against heresy he was already intending to publish. However, the fact that it does not contain reference to other radical positions being preached in the region lends some credibility to the figure and story having some basis in historical reality.''ibid.

References

;Notes ;Further reading * R. I. Moore, ''The Birth of Popular Heresy'' (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1975) {{authority control 11th-century Christian mystics 11th-century Christian theologians 11th-century Italian people Italian Christian mystics Medieval Italian theologians Christian radicalism Heresy in Christianity in the Middle Ages