The High Middle Ages sported various groups of heretics who eventually became known as the absolute dualists. Although there were many similarities in their doctrines, the nuances of their beliefs made them different enough from their sibling dualists to be classified accordingly.
The Dualistic Views of the Albaneses
The Albigensians were the largest and best known of the dualists. They are remembered much more by the title of "Cathars."
One of the key texts of both the Cathars and the Albaneses is still available today. The Book of the Two Principles is one of the few remaining written works of these fascinating sects.
Their basic belief say that God cannot be the source of both good and evil, and therefore, there must be two sources – a good source or a good God, and a bad source or a bad God. One of their primary New Testament scriptures that they utilized to support their views was Matthew 7: 17 – 18 which states “A good tree always yields good fruit, and poor tree bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, or a poor tree good fruit.”
The Albaneses in Relation to the Similar Dualistic Sects
Although it would seem to make more sense that such groups would support one another, the Albaneses actually bitterly feuded with the dualists who rivaled their particular beliefs, especially the Concorezzanes, Garatenses, Mani and the Gnostics.
The Albeneses seemed to share the Gnostic view that there was an evil God represented in the New Testament and that Jesus Christ was the good God sent to release humanity from the material prison created by the Old Testament God.
Heresy According to the Early Church Fathers
According to the Early Church Fathers, heresies would abound in their time and should be carefully discerned, as “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (New Testament, 2 Timothy 4: 3, 4)
Another very interesting heretical group were the Adamites. But a mirror group of the Albaneses were the Albigensians.
Sources:
- Encyclopedia of Heresies and Heretics, by Charles S. Clifton.
- A Catholic Dictionary, by William E. Addis and Thomas Arnold, M.A.
- Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, by Dr. Ludwig Ott.
- A Short History of Christian Doctrine: From the First Century to the Present, by Bernhard Lohse.
- The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325 - 1870, by Philip Hughes.
- A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: A Reference Guide to More than 700 Topics Discussed by the Early Church Fathers, edited by David W. Bercot.
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