Mani, the Angel and the Column of Glory

by Welburn, Andrew J.

• ISBN13: 9780863152740
• ISBN10: 0863152740
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-03-01
• Publisher: Floris Books

Summary

Manicheism - based on the teachings and revelations of the third century Persian mystic, Mani - was for over a thousand years one of the major world religions, rivalling Christianity, Islam or Buddhism. With the suppression of the Bogomil and Cathar heresies in the Middle Ages, the Manichean vision faded into obscurity, its scriptures already destroyed or lost and its esoteric teachings corrupted and misunderstood.
However, twentieth century archeology has restored to us a number of the books, often of great artistic beauty, in which the Manicheans embodied their knowledge. Andrew Welburn, in this selection, brings together some of these forgotten and fragmented treasures with a commentary that chronicles the new light now being thrown on the relationship between Mani's "religion of light" and Christianity.

Author Biography

Andrew Welburn is a fellow of New College, Oxford.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. 7
Prelude: Mani's Vision	p. 9
The Relevance of Mani	p. 33
The Legend of the Prophet	p. 65
The Mystery of his Origins	p. 67
The Apostle of Light	p. 99
Mani's Revelation The Nature of Man	p. 115
The Fivefold Man	p. 117
Life Beyond Death	p. 147
Mani's Revelation The Nature of the Universe	p. 157
Cosmic Evolution: The Seizure of the Light	p. 159
From Adamic Revelation to the Column of Glory	p. 189
The Life of the Manichaean Church	p. 229
Secret Sources	p. 249
Glossary of Manichaean Divinities and Terms	p. 277
Table of Extracts	p. 287
Background and further reading	p. 291
Index	p. 293
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