Original scientific paper
Ivo Pilar and the Problem of the Bosnian Church (‘Bogomiles’)
Zlatko MATIJEVIĆ
; Hrvatski institut za povijest, Zagreb
Abstract
One of the greatest segments of the polyhistorian Ivo Pilar’s intellectual
heritage is his attempt to interpret the phenomenon of the Bosnian Church
(‘Bogomiles’). In his striving to shed light on the emergence of this
religious sect, he analysed the phenomenon within a historical-religious
context and as a social and political problem. According to Pilar, the
religious movement in question originated from the Iranian religious
reformer Zoroaster. Regardless, this dualistic religious teaching did not
arrive to the Balkans in its original form but as a Manicheanism. Relying on
the claims of early historiography (F. RaËki) that Bogomilism arrived to
Bosnia from Bulgaria via Serbia, Pilar maintained that it also introduced
“national language” and an “autonomous church organisation” as its
positive values. The negative aspect of Bogomilism, which issued from the
very essence of its dualistic teachings (i.e. hatred of all that which is
material as the doing of Satan), undermined the very foundations of the
medieval Bosnian state. For, the Bosnian state emerged, survived and fell
together with its heretic Church, since, allegedly, its religious followers
accepted Islam, the religion of their Turkish conquerors, in masses.
Understanding Bogomilism as a purely “Croatian movement” Pilar
concluded that this dualistic sect created a separate Bosnian state (but not a
separate “Bosnian nation”) and, accordingly, “Bosnian separatism”, which
prevented the existence of a unified Croatian geopolitical region and the
constitution of a Croatian sovereignty. The origins of such perceptions of
the negative consequences of Bogomilism in Bosnia lie in Pilar’s
geopolitical ideas on the status of the Croatian states within the European
political constellation of his time.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
67583
URI
Publication date:
15.11.2006.
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