What is Bogomilism? What do Bogomils believe?

Answer

Bogomilism was a heretical sect that originated in Bulgaria in the tenth century and lasted until the fifteenth century. It was a Gnostic religious movement with connections to Manichaeism. The Bogomils believed that all material things were bad while spiritual things were good. Today, remnants of Bogomilism can be found in the folklore of the southern Baltic Slavs and in some dualistic, Gnostic aspects of regional religions.

The exact origins of Bogomilism are uncertain, but it seems to have been influenced by the erroneous teachings of Messalianism, Paulicianism, or Manichaeism. The Bogomils sought to reform the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and were not only opposed to the church but also to the government. Despite claiming to be Christians, the Bogomils held beliefs that contradicted the Bible.

Bogomilism was characterized by dualism, with the belief that evil and good were equal forces. This is evident in their interpretation of creation, where they viewed the earth and physical life as creations of Satan, an angel sent to earth. The Bible states that God created the heavens and the earth, as seen in Genesis 1:1. There is only one Creator.

Additionally, the Bogomils rejected the idea of Christ’s incarnation, leading to a salvation doctrine based on knowledge or enlightenment rather than faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. They emphasized the necessity of suffering to renounce the flesh and purify the body. The Bible declares Jesus as fully human and fully God, as stated in John 1:1,14: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:1,14)We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” , (John 1:1,14). In fact, if Jesus Christ did not exist bodily, then He did not actually suffer and die upon the cross as the substitutionary sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 2:14-17), and we are still dead in our sins «And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; », (Ephesians 2:1).

Both Catholicism and the Orthodox Church treated the Bogomils as heretics. The Bulgarian Church held church councils to condemn Bogomilism and its teachings. Bogomilism was eradicated in Bulgaria and Byzantium in the thirteenth century. However, Bogomilism survived in Bosnia and Herzegovina until the Ottoman Empire gained control in the fifteenth century. The Hungarians launched crusades against the heretics in Bosnia, but it was the Ottoman conquest that put an end to the Bogomilism sect.

Dualism, as taught by the Bogomils, was a heresy that came about in the early Church, and it remains a problem today. There is only one God Almighty, the God revealed to us in the Bible. He has no equal. It is in this God of the Bible that we must put our trust and on His Word that we must build our lives and understanding. “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” «The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever. », (Isaiah 40:8).