The primary belief system which held the Adamites attention was an unusual and profoundly strong desire to live out and recreate what they perceived as the primordial and primitive ecstasy of the Garden of Eden.
Adamites Among the First Nudists
The primary belief system which held the Adamites attention was an unusual and profoundly strong desire to live out and recreate what they perceived as the primordial and primitive ecstasy of the Garden of Eden.
It was in this manner that they became known for going around naked because they believed that if they were in a sinless state and their spirits were free, their nakedness would be a sign and a symbol to all.
Adamites utilized the apocryphal books of Adam in their rites, rituals and beliefs and they truly believed that they had transcended all sin as they understood it through orthodox cannels. As a result, in their minds, they were free to do as they pleased.
Their wrath was especially directed at all organized religions and to priests whom they were known to verbally and physically attack.
Other Similar Heresies
Many heretical sects were known by more than one name, and many of them shared similar but not identical beliefs. The Adamites were often referred to as the Hussites or the Brotherhood of the Free Spirit.
Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, By John Milton
It is an interesting and little known point that the great work by John Milton which has been considered a classic for well over four hundred years (1667) – Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained – is actually the last and greatest Adamite work.
Heresy According to the Early Church Fathers
The Early Church Fathers had much to say about heresy in their own time, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are . . . selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (New Testament, Galatians 5:19 – 21)
Probably the most popular and well-known of the heretical sects were the Cathars. And the Albaneses were an offshoot of the famous Cathars.
Sources:
- Encyclopedia of Heresies and Heretics, by Charles S. Clifton.
- A Catholic Dictionary, by William E. Addis and Thomas Arnold, M.A.
- Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, by Dr. Ludwig Ott.
- A Short History of Christian Doctrine: From the First Century to the Present, by Bernhard Lohse.
- The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325 - 1870, by Philip Hughes.
- A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: A Reference Guide to More than 700 Topics Discussed by the Early Church Fathers , edited by David W. Bercot.
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