Changes

900 - 10th century  

900 - 10th century  

The Bogomils first appeared in the tenth-eleventh century in the Balkans between about 1000 and 1400. They arose as a sect of Christian heretics who promulgated a neo-Gnostic [[Anarchism|anarchic]] dualist doctrine in Bulgaria, and spread throughout the Byzantine Empire. The Bogomils called for a return to what they considered to be early spiritual teaching, rejecting the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and their primary political tendencies were resistance to the state and church authorities following the [[Council of Nicaea]] or the [[Nicene Creed]].  

The gradual Christianization of the Bulgarian population, the fact that the service of Christian worship was initially practiced in Greek, which only the elite knew, resulted in a low level of understanding of the new religion among the peasantry. Moreover, the purported [[corruption]] of the Byzantine church as an institution, ''[[Envy|as seen by its opponents]]'', led to grave disappointment among its recently converted flock. Due to the constant wars during the time of Tsar Simeon I, the lands near the Byzantine border ([[Thrace]]) were devastated, and the people living there were left without occupation. The constant change of authority over these lands, and the higher taxes during the time of Tsar Peter I, gave birth to a great social discontent at the beginning of the 10th century

The gradual Christianization of the Bulgarian population, the fact that the service of Christian worship was initially practiced in Greek, which only the elite knew, resulted in a low level of understanding of the new religion among the peasantry. Moreover, the purported [[corruption]] of the Byzantine church as an institution, ''[[Envy|as seen by its opponents]]'', led to grave disappointment among its recently converted flock. Due to the constant wars during the time of Tsar Simeon I, the lands near the Byzantine border (Thrace) were devastated, and the people living there were left without occupation. The constant change of authority over these lands, and the higher taxes during the time of Tsar Peter I, gave birth to a great social discontent at the beginning of the 10th century

The development of the Gnostic social-religious movement and doctrine of Bogomilism that originated in the time of Peter I of Bulgaria (927–969), is alleged in the modern day to be a reaction against state and clerical oppression by the Byzantine church. It was an outcome of many factors that had arisen in the beginning of the 10th century, most probably in the region of Macedonia.

The Gnostic social-religious movement and doctrine of Bogomilism that originated in the time of Peter I of Bulgaria (927–969), is alleged in the modern day to be a reaction against state and clerical oppression by the Byzantine church. It was an outcome of many factors that had arisen in the beginning of the 10th century, most probably in the region of Macedonia.

In 970 the Byzantine emperor John I Tzimiskes transplanted 200,000 Armenian Paulicians to Europe and settled them in the neighborhood of Philippopolis (today's Plovdiv in Thrace). Bogomilism as an outcome of the many factors of unrest that had arisen in the beginning of the 10th century was also strongly influenced by the Paulicians who had been driven out of [[Armenia]]. The earliest description of the Bogomils is in a letter from Patriarch Theophylact of Bulgaria to Tsar Peter of Bulgaria.  

In 970 the Byzantine emperor John I Tzimiskes transplanted 200,000 Armenian Paulicians to Europe and settled them in the neighborhood of Philippopolis (today's Plovdiv in Thrace). Bogomilism as an outcome of the many factors of unrest that had arisen in the beginning of the 10th century was also strongly influenced by the Paulicians who had been driven out of [[Armenia]]. The earliest description of the Bogomils is in a letter from Patriarch Theophylact of Bulgaria to Tsar Peter of Bulgaria.  

The generally accepted historical view holds that the Bogomils first appeared as a movement in the tenth-eleventh century in the Balkans between about 1000 and 1400. They arose as a sect of Christian heretics who promulgated a neo-Gnostic dualist [[Anarchism|anarchic]] doctrine in Bulgaria, and spread throughout the Byzantine Empire. The Bogomils called for a return to what they considered to be early spiritual teaching, rejecting the [[Ecclesiastical government|ecclesiastical hierarchy]]; and their primary political tendencies were resistance to those state and church authorities seen by them as following the [[Council of Nicaea]] or the [[Nicene Creed]].  

Much of Bogomil literature has been lost or was destroyed by the contemporary Christian Churches. From the imperfect and conflicting data that is available, one undeniable result can be gathered that the Bogomils were gnostics, adoptionists and dualists. Their dualism was initially moderate (or "[[Monarchianism|monarchian]]").  

Much of Bogomil literature has been lost or was destroyed by the contemporary Christian Churches. From the imperfect and conflicting data that is available, one undeniable result can be gathered that the Bogomils were gnostics, adoptionists and dualists. Their dualism was initially moderate (or "[[Monarchianism|monarchian]]").