Term
Flagellants
A radical sect beginning in the 13th century known for public processions where participants practiced ritual self-beating.
Filed underChurch History
Definition
A radical sect of the 13th and succeeding centuries. They were known for their practice of forming long processions of thousands of people and marching along while beating themselves. They were condemned by Clement IV in 1349 but survived far into the 15th century north of the Alps.
Sources
- 1.Jerald C. Brauer and B. A. Gerrish, ed. The Westminster Dictionary of Church History. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971). 331Original citation: Brauer, Jerald C., and B. A. Gerrish, eds. The Westminster Dictionary of Church History. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971, 331.
Last revised August 14, 2026