Our History

The Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches belongs to the wider family of evangelical or protestant churches. We are therefore heirs to the Reformation of the 16th century, which affirmed that:

Jesus Christ is our only Saviour and the only authority in the Church.

We are saved by Grace alone, which is God’s unconditional love.

The Bible is our only source of knowledge and guidance.

The word “Waldensian” reminds us of our roots in the reformation movement started by the Frenchman Peter Waldo in 1160. He gave up his wealth to translate the Bible and teach it to simple people, at a time when even priests were illiterate. His followers claimed that laymen (and women) could preach the Gospel; they also wanted the Church of Rome to relinquish its political power and huge riches. Valdès did not seek to create a new church: he simply wanted a return to the original Christian faith. Instead, he was excommunicated and banned from the country.

Despite hostility from the official church, the Waldensian movement spread rapidly throughout Europe, especially among city folk. It managed to survive persecution until the Reformation and formally joined Protestantism in 1532.

Methodists and Waldensians form today a single church, which is a member of the World Council of Churches and of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy.

FURTHER READING

• The Evangelical faith, Giorgio Girardet, “Cristiani secondo l’Evangelo” (RTF)
• Giorgio Girardet, “Protestanti e cattolici: le differenze” (PDF)

Protestantism in Italy

• A. Penna. 1985. Storia del Protestantesimo in Italia. Wesley.
• A. Penna e S. Ronchi. 1981. Il Protestantesimo. La sfida degli evangelici in Italia e nel mondo. Feltrinelli.
• G. Spini. 1989. Risorgimento e protestanti. Il Saggiatore.
• G. Tourn. 1997. Italiani e protestantesimo. Claudiana.
• C. Sodini. “L’emigrazione confessionale dei lucchesi in Europa”
• Isabella Giungato. “L’Inquisizione a Lucca tra Cinquecento e Settecento”
• P. Lienhardt. “Storia della croce ugonotta”

Italian Reformers

• P. Bolognesi. “La Riforma in Italia”
• Pier Martire Vermigli
• Peter Martyr Library
• Pietro Paolo Vergerio (German)
• Celio Secondo Curione
• Bernardino Ochino
• Aonio Paleario
• Giovanni Diodati (German)

The Waldensian movement

• G. Bouchard. 1990. I valdesi e l’Italia. Claudiana
• G. Tourn. 1999. I valdesi. Storia di un popolo chiesa. Claudiana.
• Giorgio Tourn. “Your are my witnesses”
  D. McCallum. “The Waldensian Movement from Waldo to the Reformation”
• J. Fox. “An Account of the Persecutions in Italy under the Papacy” (1563)