Jason BeDuhn on Mani and Manichaeism
We discuss the life and work of Mani, the Prophet of Light (probably 216 – 277 CE), founder of perhaps the most successful missionary religion of all time – while it lasted – known to scholars and heresiologues as Manichæism.
Primary Sources
Four Books Against the Manichaeans
This work captures an intense intellectual standoff in early Christianity. Titus of Bostra dissects Manichaean dualism by exposing the contradictions in their view of the soul and the material world. He insists that the body is not an evil prison, but a vessel for divine transformation. The text wea
Mani: His Teachings and His Writings
This text challenges the standard historical narrative of the Manichaean sect. Flügel rejects the Acta Archelai as a literary forgery, opting instead for a rigorous critique of the Fihrist and other Eastern accounts. He maps the actual geography of Mani's world, placing his ministry firmly in the Sa
Writings of Methodius, Alexander of Lycopolis, Peter of Alexandria, and Several Fragments
These writings provide a stark look at how early Christian thinkers conceptualized holiness and human identity. Methodius and his contemporaries frame virginity not merely as a moral choice but as the ultimate path toward union with God. The text engages with the deepest questions of existence, incl
Works of Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius of Alexandria, and Archelaus
These texts act as a primary record of the intellectual and spiritual survival of the early church. You will see how leaders like Gregory Thaumaturgus and Dionysius of Alexandria navigated the collapse of order during the third century. They argue that true piety requires both the fear of God and th
Writings in Connection with the Manichaean Heresy
This collection captures Augustine in the heat of polemical battle as he systematically disassembles the Manichaean heresy. He argues that truth is found in the immateriality of God and the authority of the Church rather than the obscure mythologies of Mani. Augustine insists that evil lacks any sub
Acts of Archelaus (Acta Archelai)
This work reveals the mechanics of an ancient polemical war. It tracks how a fourth-century Greek text, preserved in a rigid Latin translation, helped define Christian orthodoxy against the challenge of dualist cosmologies. The text examines the origins of evil, the legitimacy of the Old Testament,