Most of the Bosnian territory (excluding modern Herzegovina) has been Roman Catholic following the division between Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, but during the long period of isolation from Rome the Bosnian church has fallen into de facto schism, electing its own leaders from among the heads of the monastic houses.

A combination of poor theological training, lax observances, and Eastern Orthodox practices has led to frequent complaints from neighboring areas, beginning in the 1190s, that the Bosnian church is infected with heresy.

From the 1190s, a number of regional rulers and Roman Catholic church leaders, most of whom have ulterior political motives, accuse Kulin of sheltering Bogomil heretics in his domain.

Some even claim that the Bosnians have adopted Bogomilism on a large scale.

Kulin responds in 1203 by calling a special church council at Bolino Polje, at which Bosnian church leaders affirm the authority of the pope and commits themselves to a series of reforms correcting lax religious practices; in addition, however, they promise not to shelter heretics in their monasteries.