Heretics! Who are they?

What image do you see when you hear the word, heretic? My mind goes straight to a woman burning at the stake, Joan of Arc style. Fire and Brimstone, eternal damnation, and all that. Light flickering from the fire onto the disapproving face of an elderly man of power, a Reverend, Bishop, or something of the sort. He watches the so-called “heretic” burn, her screams erupting from the flames, and feels he has done his job, allegedly protecting his flock from the devilish influences of the “different” or the “other” within his society. The “heretic” dared to go against the status quo, and now she must pay with her life, as a warning to others who may be tempted to follow the same path. He nods approvingly, he feels justice has been served, and his flock is back in order.

So how did we get here? How did execution become an acceptable response to someone’s individuality? It all feels very medieval, and in fact, it is.

The term “heretic” has been used with a deeply negative and scandalous connotation in many different ways throughout history. To be called a heretic, was dangerous in many communities, and could even mean a death sentence in certain societies, such as in Europe in the Middle Ages.

So what exactly is a heretic? Well, the answer can be a little different depending on who it is you are asking, and when. A heretic, in general, is a person whose actions, thoughts, or beliefs are considered to be “wrong” by the society in which that person is a member. They are often ostracized because they disagree with the beliefs or religion that is generally accepted. Someone who speaks out against the church, for example, by criticizing the church itself and its members. A woman who goes against the acceptable gender roles of the time, would often be considered “ungodly” or a “witch” and often labeled a heretic as well.

Heretics are very often shown in television and movies as those who went against the teachings of the Medieval Catholic Church in the Eleventh Century, and while that is absolutely historically accurate, they are not the only religion to turn against those who spoke out against them. During the Protestant Reformation, Protestants were also known to execute members of their society considered to be heretics. One of the best examples of a heretic is Martin Luther, who, allegedly, nailed his ninety five theses, each one an objection to a practice of the Catholic church, to the door of a church, therefore igniting the reformation itself.

Due to the influence of our patriarchal society, many women throughout history were considered to be heretics simply because they were different, or a little bit rebellious. For example, one of the most famous women in the Middle Ages, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was considered by many to be a heretic because of the power she held without a husband, as ruler of Aquitaine, and because of her evolving views on religion and relationships. Throughout her lifetime, Eleanor became Queen of both France and England, and participated in the Second Crusade. (It is alleged by some that she even rode into battle, bare-breasted, to distract the Saracens.) So, of course, a strong, independent, outspoken, powerful woman, would have definitely been called a heretic in the Middle ages.

Today, the general definition of a heretic is considered to be those working against the movements and beliefs of the Christian Church. But what about outside the church? Outside the grip of the Papal system, we as women can take a semblance of power back by reworking the term heretic. For the women who stood before us, and, willingly or unwillingly, sacrificed themselves for the cause they believed in, we can take back the term heretic, and use it to describe a woman with the same wildness in her as her foremothers. The same wildness that refused to accept the patriarchal system, that rejected conformity in the place of individuality, and fought for her daughters to know a world kinder than her own. A woman who aligns with those values, should be proud to wear the term, heretic.