Dissimulation, secret et allégorie dans le dualisme chrétien du Moyen Age: paulicianisme, bogomilisme, catharisme

Accusations of dissimulation and hypocrisy are frequently brought against supporters of Paulicianism and Bogomilism in heresiological writings concerning these religious movements. Ecclesiastical writers generally attribute such behaviour to both the fear of being discovered and to the clever tactics used by heretical leaders to attracts people and convert them, a little at a time, to their doctrines. Actually, in vast regions like Languedoc and Northern Italy, the Cathar religion had been openly practised and often protected, if not adopted, by political authorities for a very long time. There was, therefore, no valid reason to describe the dissidents as hypocrites and dissimulators. Despite the malevolent attitude of Orthodox and Catholic adversaries, their accusations are not out-and-out fabrications. Fear may not be considered sufficient with courage in the face of persecution and death, nonetheless, it is certain that they spontaneously defined themselves as 'Christians' and founded their faith on the Bible, especially the New Testament. Indeed, they practised a progressive catechesis, gradually passing from the preaching of fundamental evangelical precepts to more sophisticated doctrines characterized by dualistic-inspired theology. This came about, above all, as a consequence of the transformation from a literal interpretation of Scripture to an allegorical or symbolic exegesis connecting the words and events of the Gospel to myths illustrating their cosmology and soteriology. In this biblical allegorism resides the underlying basis for what heresiologists tend to denigrate as dissimulation, opportunism, or falshood.