Editing Catharism (section)

== Reinterpretations ==

=== Protestants ===
Protestants such as [[John Foxe]], in the 16th century, and [[Jean Duvernoy]], in the 20th century, argued that Cathars followed [[Proto-Protestantism|Proto-Protestant]] theology, though they were criticised by many historians.{{Who|date=January 2023}} Foxe argued that they followed Calvinist soteriology. Such have argued that Cathars did not follow [[dualism in cosmology|dualism]] but instead argued that such accusations were either [[Pseudo-Gnosticism|misinterpretations of Cathar theology]], wrongly attributed to Cathars or merely hostile claims.

Other historians{{Who|date=January 2023}} have also argued that Cathars instead followed Protestant theology because the Reformation spread rapidly to the land in which Cathars mainly existed. They argued that the people "held Protestant ideas" well before the Reformation. However, such arguments are generally viewed as weak, for instance because of the need to downplay the dualism not present in Protestantism.<ref>{{harvnb| Stoyanov|2000|p=missing}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{harvnb|Pegg|2009|p=missing}}</ref><ref name=":02"/>

=== Baptists ===
Twentieth century Baptists have argued that the Cathars are part of [[Baptist successionism]], placing the Cathars as forerunners of [[Baptist beliefs|Baptist theology]]. [[James Milton Carroll]] claimed in his book ''[[The Trail of Blood]]'' that the [[Novatianism|Novatianists]], or [[Cathari]], were ascendants of Baptist groups. Writing for [[Catholic Answers]], Dwight Longenecker, says there is no historical proof for Baptist successionism.<ref>{{harvnb|Longenecker|2009}}</ref>

Hisel Berlin, advocating for the Baptist successionist theory, argued that claims about the Cathars were mainly false and that they denied things such as infant baptism.<ref>{{harvnb|Berlin|2017|pp=157–165}}</ref> Since the end of the 19th century, the trend in academic Baptist [[historiography]] has been away from the successionist viewpoint to the view that modern day Baptists are an outgrowth of 17th-century [[English Separatist|English Separatism]].{{sfn|Cross|1990|p=174}}