Bogomilism

Bogomilism (Bulgarian: богомилство, romanized: bogomilstvo; Macedonian: богомилство, romanized: bogomilstvo; Serbo-Croatian: bogumilstvo / богумилство) was a Christian neo-Gnostic, dualist sect founded in the First Bulgarian Empire by the priest Bogomil during the reign of Tsar Peter I in the 10th century.^[1]^[2]^[3] It most probably arose in the region of Kutmichevitsa, today part of the region of Macedonia.^[4]^[5]

The Bogomils were dualists or Gnostics in that they believed in a world within the body and a world outside the body. They did not use the Christian cross, nor build churches, as they revered their gifted form and considered their body to be the temple. This gave rise to many forms of practice to cleanse oneself through fasting or dancing.

The Bogomils rejected the ecclesiastical hierarchy. Their primary political tendencies were resistance to the state and church authorities. This helped the movement spread quickly in the Balkans, gradually expanding throughout the Byzantine Empire and later reaching Kievan Rus', Dalmatia, Serbia, Italy, and France (Cathars).

^ Peters, Edward (1980). Heresy and authority in medieval Europe: documents in translation, Middle Ages University of Pennsylvania Press Middle ages series. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 108. ISBN 0-8122-1103-0.
^ Van Antwerp Fine, John (1991). The early medieval Balkans: a critical survey from the sixth to the late twelfth century. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. p. 171. ISBN 0-472-08149-7.
^ Crampton, R. J. (2005). A concise history of Bulgaria, Cambridge concise histories. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. pp. 18–19. ISBN 0-521-61637-9.
^ Obolensky, Dimitri (1994). Byzantium and the Slavs. Yonkers, New York: St Vladimir's Seminary Press. p. 272. ISBN 9780881410082.
^ Schuman, Michael (2004). Bosnia and Herzegovina. Yonkers, New York: Infobase Publishing. p. 7. ISBN 9780816050529.

[1] Peters, Edward (1980). Heresy and authority in medieval Europe: documents in translation, Middle Ages University of Pennsylvania Press Middle ages series. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 108. ISBN 0-8122-1103-0.

[2] Van Antwerp Fine, John (1991). The early medieval Balkans: a critical survey from the sixth to the late twelfth century. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. p. 171. ISBN 0-472-08149-7.

[3] Crampton, R. J. (2005). A concise history of Bulgaria, Cambridge concise histories. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. pp. 18–19. ISBN 0-521-61637-9.

[4] Obolensky, Dimitri (1994). Byzantium and the Slavs. Yonkers, New York: St Vladimir's Seminary Press. p. 272. ISBN 9780881410082.

[5] Schuman, Michael (2004). Bosnia and Herzegovina. Yonkers, New York: Infobase Publishing. p. 7. ISBN 9780816050529.

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