Manichaeism – PDF

Manichaeism was a prominent religion in ancient Persia and neighboring regions. Its teachings were centered around the concept of divine power, with the universe being ruled by a Lord of Light and a Lord of Darkness who perpetually battled for dominance. According to their beliefs, everything good was a gift from the Lord of Light and everything evil was a result of the Lord of Darkness. These principles were applied to cosmology and ethics, separating the universe into a spiritual realm that influenced the goodness of the human soul and a material realm that facilitated the evil of the human body. Despite their seemingly straightforward ideology, the intricacies of Manichaeism have been shrouded in obscurity due to widespread persecution and suppression throughout history. The religion was initially suppressed by the Christian Church and then later by Islam.
Michel Tardieu, a prominent expert on ancient religions, explores the fragmentary sources that shed light on the prophet Mani and his teachings. He delves into the ecclesiastical hierarchy and moral code of Manichaeism while investigating their ideas about the pre-life and afterlife.
From once being one of the world’s major religions, Manichaeism fell into heresy and faded into a shadowy presence that lingers in the religions that succeeded it. In this eBook, Tardieu provides a concise yet brilliant overview of a religion that was both great and lost.