Genealogy of the bogomils heresy: the problem of reliability of anti-heretical works’ information

Abstract

The article deals with theories of the Bogomils heresy's origin in messages of medieval church authors, concentrating on the power of this messages' reliability. Within the framework of historiography of the Bogomilism main authors debates the genealogy of this doctrine from 19th century to present day. One way or another researchers deduce the Bulgarian heresy from such doctrines as Paulicianism, Messalianism and Manichaeism. These concepts of the Bogomilism's continuity from the earlier dualistic heresies based on messages of the Church authors, contemporary to heretics. Researching anti-Bogomilism works shows their authors intention to include Bogomilism in universal heresies' genealogy, starting from the age of Church Fathers or, in other cases, from the Apostles' times. The article concludes that church authors had a specific perception of any heresies as similar in their essence — a source of the heresy as one of the gravest sin is Devil. Such a perception determines specific attitude of this authors to heresies classification: blurring of boundaries between different doctrines and acts of invention of heretical communities without any real facts of their existence.