The Other God: Dualist Religions from Antiquity to the Cathar Heresy (Yale Nota Bene)

This fascinating book explores the evolution of religious dualism, the doctrine that man and cosmos are constant battlegrounds between forces of good and evil. It traces this evolution from late Egyptian religion and the revelations of Zoroaster and the Orphics in antiquity through the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Mithraic Mysteries, and the great Gnostic teachers to its revival in medieval Europe with the suppression of the Bogomils and the Cathars, heirs to the age-long teachings of dualism. Integrating political, cultural, and religious history, Yuri Stoyanov illuminates the dualist religious systems, recreating in vivid detail the diverse worlds of their striking ideas and beliefs, their convoluted mythologies and symbolism. Reviews of an earlier edition: “A book of prime importance for anyone interested in the history of religious dualism. The author’s knowledge of relevant original sources is remarkable; and he has distilled them into a convincing and very readable whole.”—Sir Steven Runciman “The most fascinating historical detective story since Steven Runciman’s Sicilian Vespers. ”—Colin Wilson “A splendid account of the decline of the dualist tradition in the East . . . both strong and accessible. . . . The most readable account of Balkan heresy ever.”—Jeffrey B. Russell, Journal of Religion “Well-written, fact-filled, and fascinating . . . has in it the making of a classic.” —Harry T. Norris, Bulletin of SOAS Chapter One: The Bridge Of The Separator: Two Principles -- Two In One -- Enemy Of The Gods -- Twin Spirits -- Spirit And Flesh -- Creator And Destroyer -- The Father Of Light And Darkness -- The 'anointed' And The 'king Of Babylon' -- Creator And Accuser -- The Prince Of Light And The Angel Of Darkness. Chapter Two: The Time Of Mixture -- Three Empires -- Syncretism In The East -- Mithras And Mediator -- Michael And Samael -- Demiurge And Redeemer -- The Throne And The Altar -- The Prophet Of Babylon -- The Father Of Greatness And The Prince Of Darkness -- The Diffusion Of The 'religion Of Light' -- Heresiarch And Magus. Chapter Three: The Thread Of The Great Heresy -- The Dualist Succession -- The Earth Diver And The Devil -- From The Steppes To The Balkans -- Kans And Emperors -- Paganism, Heresy And Christianity -- Rome, Constantinople And Theprice -- The Anniversary Of Zoroaster -- The Descent Of The 'manichaean Darkness' -- The Riddle Of Bogomil Beginnings -- The 'time Of Troubles' -- The Heresy In Anatolia -- The Three Principles Of The Thracian Euchites -- The Crusades Of Alexius Comnenus -- Trials In Constantinople -- Manuel Comnenus And Stefan Nemanja. Chapter Four: The Dualist Communion -- Heresy In The West -- The Rise Of Catharism -- The Council At St-felix And The Dualist Churches -- The Schism -- Chapter Five: The Crusade Against Dualism -- Councils And Crusades -- Suppression And Resistance -- The Fall Of Montsegur -- Rome And The Balkan Heresy -- The Decline Of Catharism -- The Antipope -- The Bosnian Church And Ecclesia Sclavoniae -- The Hesychast Mystics And The Bogomils -- Heresy And Magic -- East And West -- Heresy And Politics In Bosnia -- The Fate Of Balkan Dualism. Chapter Six: Legends, Parables, And 'secret Myths' -- Christ-michael And Samael-satan -- The Good God, The God Of Evil And The Feminine -- Bethlehem And Capernaum -- Epilogue: The War Of Labels. Yuri Stoyanov. Rev. Ed. Of: Hidden Tradition In Europe. 1994. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 426-457) And Index. This fascinating book explores the evolution of religious dualism, the doctrine that man and cosmos are constant battlegrounds between forces of good and evil. It traces this evolution from late Egyptian religion and the revelations of Zoroaster and the Orphics in antiquity through the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Mithraic Mysteries, and the great Gnostic teachers to its revival in medieval Europe with the suppression of the Bogomils and the Cathars, heirs to the age-long teachings of dualism. Integrating political, cultural, and religious history, Yuri Stoyanov illuminates the dualist religious systems, recreating in vivid detail the diverse worlds of their striking ideas and beliefs, their convoluted mythologies and symbolism.  

Reviews of an earlier edition:

“A book of prime importance for anyone interested in the history of religious dualism. The author’s knowledge of relevant original sources is remarkable; and he has distilled them into a convincing and very readable whole.”—Sir Steven Runciman

“The most fascinating historical detective story since Steven Runciman’s Sicilian Vespers.”—Colin Wilson

“A splendid account of the decline of the dualist tradition in the East . . . both strong and accessible. . . . The most readable account of Balkan heresy ever.”—Jeffrey B. Russell, Journal of Religion 

“Well-written, fact-filled, and fascinating . . . has in it the making of a classic.”
—Harry T. Norris, Bulletin of SOAS This important book offers the first comprehensive history of religious dualism, the doctrine that cosmos and man are constant battlegrounds for the forces of good and evil and their supernatural protagonists. Yuri Stoyanov traces crucial stages in the evolution of dualism from its early expression in late Egyptian religion and the revelations of Zoroaster to the revival of the "Great Heresy" in medieval Europe.