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September 10, 2025

The Role of Bogomilism in the Theological Debate between Pietists and Orthodox Lutherans

Key Points

Theological debates were shaped by the medieval movement of bogomilism and the Pietist perspective of Gottfried Arnold.
Gottfried Arnold advocated for heretical views, influencing Pietism, while Johann Christoph Wolf defended traditional church doctrine.
The interaction of enlightenment thought with orthodox beliefs illustrates the complexities of 17th-century theological disputes.
The exploration of these figures and their writings offers a fresh lens to understand intersections in church history.

Abstract

This study explores the connection between the medieval religious movement and the theology of the early Enlightenment – an aspect that has only been marginally addressed in scholarly research. First, it examines the work and influence of the radical Pietist Gottfried Arnold (1666 – 1714), who became known as a defender of all forms of heresy through his Unpartheyische Kirchen- und Ketzer-Historie. Opposing him stands the Wittenberg Byzantinist Johann Christoph Wolf (1683 – 1739), a central figure who, through his writings particularly his Historia Bogomilorum (1699 – 1715) – offered a new perspective in defending true church doctrine. This will be explored in the second and concluding part of the following article.

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