Global InformationManichaeism information
| Manichaeism | |
|---|---|
| آیینِ مانی 摩尼教 | |
 Sealstone of Mani, rock crystal, possibly 3rd century CE, Iraq. Cabinet des Médailles, Paris.[1][2] The seal reads "Mani, messenger of the messiah", and may have been used by Mani himself to sign his epistles.[3][1] | |
| Type | Universal religion |
| Classification | Iranian religion |
| Scripture | Manichaean scripture |
| Theology | Dualistic |
| Region | Historical: Europe, East Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, Siberia Current: Fujian, Zhejiang |
| Language | Middle Persian, Classical Syriac, Parthian, Classical Latin, Classical Chinese, Old Uyghur language, Tocharian B, Sogdian language, Greek |
| Founder | Mani |
| Origin | 3rd century AD Parthian, Sasanian Empire |
| Separated from | Jewish Christian Elcesaite sect, and the teachings of Jesus, Buddha, and Zoroaster |
| Separations | Manichaean schisms
|
Manichaeism (/ˌmænɪˈkiːɪzəm/;[4] in New Persian آیینِ مانی Āyīn-e Mānī; Chinese: 摩尼教; pinyin: Móníjiào) is a former major world religion,[5] founded in the 3rd century CE by the Parthian[6] prophet Mani (216–274 CE), in the Sasanian Empire.[7]
Manichaeism teaches an elaborate dualistic cosmology describing the struggle between a good, spiritual world of light, and an evil, material world of darkness.[8] Through an ongoing process that takes place in human history, light is gradually removed from the world of matter and returned to the world of light, whence it came. Mani's teaching was intended to "combine",[9] succeed, and surpass the teachings of Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Marcionism,[9] Hellenistic and Rabbinic Judaism, Gnostic movements, Ancient Greek religion, Babylonian and other Mesopotamian religions,[10] and mystery cults.[11][12] It reveres Mani as the final prophet after Zoroaster, the Gautama Buddha and Jesus Christ.
Manichaeism was quickly successful and spread far through Aramaic-speaking regions.[13] It thrived between the third and seventh centuries, and at its height was one of the most widespread religions in the world. Manichaean churches and scriptures existed as far east as the Han Dynasty and as far west as the Roman Empire.[14] It was briefly the main rival to early Christianity in the competition to replace classical polytheism before the spread of Islam. Under the Roman Dominate, Manichaeism was persecuted by the Roman state and was eventually stamped out in the Roman Empire.[5]
Manichaeism has survived longer in the east than it did in the west. Although it was thought to have finally faded away after the 14th century in South China,[15] contemporary to the decline of the Church of the East in Ming China, there is a growing corpus of evidence that shows Manichaeism persists in some areas of China, especially in Fujian,[16][17] where numerous Manichaean relics have been discovered over time. The currently known sects are notably secretive and protective of their belief system, in an effort to remain undetected. This stems from fears relating to persecution and suppression during various periods of Chinese history.[18]
While most of Manichaeism's original writings have been lost, numerous translations and fragmentary texts have survived.[19]
An adherent of Manichaeism is called a Manichaean, Manichean, or Manichee, the last especially in older sources.[20][21][further explanation needed]
- ^ a b Grenet, Frantz (2022). Splendeurs des oasis d'Ouzbékistan. Paris: Louvre Editions. p. 93. ISBN 978-84-125278-5-8.
- ^ "Believers, Proselytizers, & Translators The Sogdians". sogdians.si.edu.
- ^ GULÁCSI, ZSUZSANNA (2010). "The Prophet's Seal: A Contextualized Look at the Crystal Sealstone of Mani (216–276 C.E.) in the Bibliothèque nationale de France" (PDF). Bulletin of the Asia Institute. 24: 164. ISSN 0890-4464. JSTOR 43896125.
- ^ "manichaeism". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ a b R. van den Broek, Wouter J. Hanegraaff Gnosis and Hermeticism from Antiquity to Modern TimesSUNY Press, 1998 ISBN 978-0-7914-3611-0 p. 37
- ^ Yarshater, Ehsan The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 3 (2), The Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanian Periods, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1983.
- ^ "Manichaeism". New Advent Encyclopedia. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ^ Manichaeism at Encyclopædia Iranica
- ^ a b Turner, Alice K. (1993). The History of Hell (1st ed.). United States: Harcourt Brace. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-15-140934-1.
- ^ Widengren, Geo Mesopotamian elements in Manichaeism (King and Saviour II): Studies in Manichaean, Mandaean, and Syrian-gnostic religion, Lundequistska bokhandeln, 1946.
- ^ Hopkins, Keith (July 2001). A World Full of Gods: The Strange Triumph of Christianity. New York: Plume. pp. 246, 263, 270. ISBN 0-452-28261-6. OCLC 47286228.
- ^ Arendzen, John (1 October 1910). "Manichæism". The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: The Encyclopedia Press, Inc.
- ^ Jason BeDuhn; Paul Allan Mirecki (2007). Frontiers of Faith: The Christian Encounter With Manichaeism in the Acts of Archelaus. BRILL. p. 6. ISBN 978-90-04-16180-1.
- ^ Andrew Welburn, Mani, the Angel and the Column of Glory: An Anthology of Manichaean Texts (Edinburgh: Floris Books, 1998), p. 68
- ^ Jason David BeDuhn The Manichaean Body: In Discipline and Ritual Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. 2000 republished 2002 p.IX
- ^ Li, Linzhou (2004). 福州摩尼教重要遗址——福州台江义洲浦西福寿宫 (in Chinese) (1 ed.). p. 44.
- ^ Chen, Yizhou; Tu, Yuanji (2004). 福建摩尼教寺院遗址考 (in Chinese) (1 ed.). p. 82.
- ^ Clarence, Siut Wai Hung. "The Forgotten Buddha: Manichaeism and Buddhist Elements in Imperial China". Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ Gardner, Iain; Lieu, Samuel N. C., eds. (2004). Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- ^ Such as the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers First Series, ed. Philip Schaff, writing of Augustine
- ^ "Definition of MANICHAEAN". merriam-webster.com. 15 July 2023.