Centuries after their brutal slaughter by the northern French forces and their suppression by the inquisition, the Cathars continue to exert a powerful influence on both popular culture and spiritual seekers. But what did they really believe and practise?

Tourists flock to the Languedoc to visit 'Cathar Country', yet few people know anything of the beliefs of the Cathars beyond vague notions that they believed in reincarnation, were vegetarians, were somehow Gnostic, and has some relation to Mary Magdalene. The Lost Teachings of the Cathars explores the history of this Christian dualist movement between the 12th and 14th centuries, offering a sympathetic yet critical examination of its beliefs and practices.