The Bogomil movement in medieval Bulgaria. Social, political and cultural considerations

Abstract

The article is devoted to the origins, doctrine, and social foundations of Bogomilism in medieval Bulgaria. The purpose of the study is to present Bogomilism as both a religious and a social phenomenon functioning within the realities of medieval Bulgarian society. The author employs an analysis of polemical sources, particularly the treatise of Cosmas the Priest and later Byzantine and Bulgarian anti-heretical writings. The study discusses the principal elements of Bogomil doctrine, including the opposition between spirit and matter, the rejection of the cult of saints, the cross, and ecclesiastical institutions, as well as the idealization of poverty. Particular attention is devoted to the social basis of the movement’s popularity, especially among poorer groups burdened by increasing taxation and feudal dependence. The author emphasizes the methodological difficulties resulting from the predominance of sources written by opponents of Bogomilism over texts originating within Bogomil circles themselves. In the author’s view, Bogomilism was not merely a religious heresy but also a form of protest against the social and political transformations taking place in Bulgaria from the tenth century onward.