Quick Answer
Gnosticism was not extinguished by orthodox Christianity — it persisted through the medieval period in movements like the Paulicians (Armenia, 7th c.), the Bogomils (Bulgaria, 10th c.), and most famously the Cathars (southern France and northern Italy, 12th–14th c.). All shared the Gnostic core: a flawed material world created by an evil power, salvation through spiritual knowledge.
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Quick Facts
- Paulicians (7th–9th c.) in Armenia rejected the material world and the Old Testament God
- Bogomils (Bulgaria, 10th c.) taught that Satan created the material world; God rules only the spiritual realm
- Cathars (12th–14th c.) were the largest medieval Gnostic-influenced movement; crushed by the Albigensian Crusade (1209–1229)
- Medieval Gnosticism spread along trade routes connecting the Byzantine East with Western Europe