Mani and Augustine: collected essays on Mani, Manichaeism and Augustine gathers in one volume contributions on Manichaean scholarship made by the internationally renowned scholar Johannes van Oort. The first part of the book focuses on the Babylonian prophet Mani (216-277) who styled himself an ‘apostle of Jesus Christ’, on Jewish elements in Manichaeism and on ‘human semen eucharist’, eschatology and imagery of Christ as ‘God’s Right Hand’. The second part of the book concentrates on the question to what extent the former ‘auditor’ Augustine became acquainted with Mani’s gnostic world religion and his canonical writings, and explores to what extent Manichaeism had a lasting impact on the most influential church father of the West.
Johannes van Oort, em. professor Utrecht University and Radboud University Nijmegen, is a research professor at the University of Pretoria. He published over 25 books and numerous articles, mainly on Augustine and Manichaeism, incl. Augustine and Manichaean Christianity (Brill, 2013).
'… the present collection of essays and reviews serves as a welcome and valuable tool for research (and might also help to have a first introduction to the two areas masterfully combined with each other by van Oort). This piece of first-class investigations is nicely produced, well edited and its essays are – partly – updated or at least slightly modified. All in all, the volume will serve as a significant reference point for everyone who is seriously interested in Mani, Manichaeism and Augustine' Thomas J. Kraus, University of Zurich, ARYS 19 (2021) 567-570
"the volume consistently and convincingly presents key issues [...] the most comprehensive volume dedicated to Augustine and Manichaeism to date.[...] those who appreciate the work of an established expert in Latin Manichaeism can enjoy the profound and detailed studies offered in Mani and Augustine [...] To aid the reader's navigation extensive indices
added ....
cannot be praised too highly."
- Aäron Vanspauwen, in:
Augustiniana71 (2022)
"Die nun erschienene Sammlung gruppiert zu den zwei Bereichen „Manichaeism“ und „Augustine and Manichaeism“ stellt ein wertvolles Instrument für die einschlägige Forschung bereit. [...] Der renommierte Verfasser und der nicht minder renommierte Verlag Brill haben dafür gesorgt, dass der neue Sammelband sorgfältig verfasst, lektoriert und erschlossen – wir finden ausführliche Verzeichnisse und Register – sowie hochwertig produziert und gebunden wurde: zu Freude und Gewinn für jeden Lesenden und zu Nutzen und Zierde einer jeden geisteswissenschaftlichen Bibliothek." - Christof Müller, Würzburg [full review]
El reconocido investigador Johannes van Oort vuelca en el presente volumen de la serie Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies sus años de erudición en el área de los estudios agustinianos, así como de la cristiandad gnóstica, particularmente maniquea. Esta compilación revisada y actualizada de sus artículos constituye un aporte fundamental para los estudios sobre maniqueísmo, así como profundiza las consecuencias que para los estudios agustinianos …
Franco Nervi, University of Buenos Aires, PATRISTICA ET MEDIÆVALIA 42 (2021)
List of AbbreviationsIntroduction
Part 1 Mani and Manichaeism
1 Mani and Manichaeism
2 The Paraclete Mani as the Apostle of Jesus Christ and the Origins of a New Christian Church
3 Jewish Elements in the Cologne Mani Codex
4 The Platonist Philosopher Alexander of Lycopolis on Manichaeism
5 Human Semen Eucharist among the Manichaeans? The Testimony of Augustine Reconsidered in Context
6 Another Case of Human Semen Eucharist among the Manichaeans? Notes on the ‘Ceremony of the Fig’ in Cyril of Jerusalem’s CatechesisVI
7 Manichaean Imagery of Christ as God’s Right Hand
8 Manichaean Eschatology
9 On the Huguenot Isaac de Beausobre (1659–1738), Founding Father of Manichaean Studies: A Würdigung
Part 2 Augustine and Manichaeism
10 Augustine and Manichaeism: An Introductory Overview
11 Manichaean Christians in Augustine’s Life and Work
12 Augustine and the Manichaeans: Their Church, Books, and Impact
13 Heeding and Hiding Their Particular Knowledge? An Analysis of Augustine’s Dispute with Fortunatus
14 Augustine’s Praise (or: On the First Sentences of the Confessions)
15 Young Augustine’s Knowledge of Manichaeism: An Analysis of the Confessions and Some Other Relevant Texts
16 Augustine’s Criticism of Manichaeism: The Case of Confessions 3,10 and Its Implications
17 ‘Misisti manum tuam ex alto’: Manichaean Imagery of Christ as God’s Hand in Augustine’s Confessions?
18 God, Memory and Beauty: A ‘Manichaean’ Analysis of Augustine’s Confessions, Book 10,1–38
19 Sin and Concupiscence in Augustine’s Confessions: An Analytical Overview of the Relevant Texts and Some Conclusions
20 Secundini Manichaei Epistula: Roman Manichaean ‘Biblical’ Argument in the Age of Augustine
21 Manichaeism in Augustine’s Sermons: The Case of sermo 182
22 Reminiscenses of Manichaeism in Augustine’s City of God
23 Mani and Manichaeism in Augustine’s De haeresibus: An Analysis of haer. 46,1
24 Was Julian Right? A Re-evaluation of Augustine’s and Mani’s Doctrines of Sexual Concupiscence and the Transmission of Sin
25 Augustine on Sexual Concupiscence and Original Sin
26 Manichaean Women in Augustine’s Life and Works
27 Manichaean Women in a Pseudo-Augustinian Testimony: An Analysis of the North African Testimonium de Manichaeis sectatoribus
Part 3 Mani, Manichaeism and Augustine in Reviews
A Reviews on ‘Mani and Manichaeism’ 28 New Directions in Manichaean Research: An Introduction to Manichaica Selecta
29 Studia Manichaica
30 Manichaeism in the Later Roman Empire and Medieval China
31 The Argumentation in the Greek-Christian Antimanichaica
32 Fragments of Mani’s Šābuhragān
33 Jewish Lore in Manichaean Cosmogony
34 The Manichaean ‘Psalms of the Wanderers’
35 Manichaeism in Mesopotamia and the Roman East
36 The Speech of the Living Soul
37 Uygur Manichaean Texts and Sogdian Texts from Turfan
38 Mani’s Psalms
39 Christian and Manichaean Remains from Quanzhou
40 The Role of Women in Manichaeism
41 The Manichaean Codices of Medinet Madi
B Reviews on ‘Augustine and Manichaeism’ 42 Augustine’s Manichaean Dilemma in Context
43 Once Again: Augustine’s Manichaean Dilemma
44 De moribus ecclesiae catholicae et de moribus Manichaeorum
45 De utilitate credendi
46 De Genesi contra Manichaeos
Indices
All interested in historical, cultural, theological and philosophical questions.