Today’s scholars no longer view Manichaeism as a heresy because its doctrines were so far outside the bounds of Christianity, they believe it to have been an entirely different sect.
Mani and his Followers
Mani lived from the time of 216 to 277 A.D. and grew up within a Middle Eastern Sect. Eventually, however, Manichaeism would have followers all the way from North African to China.
Great persecution followed the Manichaes in every corner of the world where they spread.
Mani was considered by his followers to be many things. Described as a second Buddha, he was also thought to be the reincarnation of Lao-Tsu or another great prophet. Some viewed him as the reincarnation of Jesus or even the Persian teacher Zarathustra, founder of Zoroastrianism.
Mani had mystical visions about his future vocation in life. These visions led him to come out publicly and proclaim the doctrines loudly. Followers of Mani called him the ‘Apostle of Light.’
Mani traveled to many locations and was allowed to preach all over the world. But eventually he was imprisoned and died 30 days later. His body was thrown to the dogs. Mani’s followers commemorated his death every year with 30 days of fasting.
Manichaein Cosmology
The Kephalaion is the only remaining work of Mani which explains his perception of the cosmos. They believed in a dualistic philosophy. Mani divided the history into three major divisions.
- “In the beginning, the powers of good and evil, light and dark were separated."
- “Over time, the chaotic world of matter began to penetrate the ordered world of light.”
- “A third of the Father’s emanations, the Third Messenger, set out to capture the remaining light.” Encyclopedia of Heresies and Heretics, Charles S. Clifton
Another very bizarre belief held by the Manichaein’s was that humans were actually conceived by the mating of demons who swallowed particles of light.
Manichaein’s believed that if they had taken their final vows when they died, they would be taken immediately to the kingdom of light because all humans had that one spark within them.
For those who didn’t take the vows would immediately reincarnate. So they aso believed in their own version of the doctrine of reincarnation.
St. Augustine on Manichaeinism
St. Augustine took on the Manichaein heresy in many of his writings. Among the many things he explained about them were that God and evil had substance, evil was believed by the Manichaeins to have “a shapeless, hideous mass . . . that there were two antagonistic masses, both of which were infinite, yet the evil in a lesser and the good in a greater degree.” St. Augustine
Heresy According the Early Church Fathers
The Early Church Fathers were not certain that Manichaeism was actually a heresy rather than just a different religion. Its cosmology was very complex and well-defined. “This may be seen in all the heresies, when you examine the iniquities of their dogmas. For when they are overturned by our clearly showing that they are opposed to the Scriptures, those who defend the [heretical] teaching do one of two things: They either despite the consistency of their own dogmas, or else they despite the prophecy itself . . . by disbelieving the Scriptures.” (Clement of Alexandria) A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: A Reference Guide to More than 700 Topics Discussed by the Early Church Fathers – Edited by David W. Bercot
Other unusual heretical sects include the Luciferans and the Men of Intelligence.
Sources:
- Encyclopedia of Heresies and Heretics - By Charles S. Clifton
- A Catholic Dictionary - By William E. Addis and Thomas Arnold, M.A.
- Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma - By Dr. Ludwig Ott
- A Short History of Christian Doctrine: From the First Century to the Present - By Bernhard Lohse
- The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325 - 1870 - By Philip Hughes
- A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: A Reference Guide to More than 700 Topics Discussed by the Early Church Fathers – Edited by David W. Bercot
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