Neo-Manichaeism

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Neo-Manichaeism is usually a Christian theological reference to various Christian sects and movements inspired by or resembling the ancient dualistic religion of Mani. A minor contemporary effort to revive Manichaeism exists and also refers to itself as Neo-Manichaeism.

Medieval Neo-Manichaean sects

Manichaean Orthodox Church

The Order of Nazorean Essenes, also called the Manichaean Orthodox Church, is an Oregon-based church seeking to revive Manichaeism. It offers courses for laymen and clergy alike via the internet.

Like the ancient faith, some Neo-Manichaean believers revere Jesus of Nazareth (Jesus Christ), Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, and Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra or Zardoz). This is not the view of the Order of Nazorean Essenes, however, which has denied that Gautama was a genuine Buddha.

In ancient times Manichaeans divided themselves into two groups: The "Elect", who were clergy and the "Listeners" who were laymen. The Elect lived a life of self denial: they abstained from sex, would not eat from sunrise to sunset, prayed and avoided manual labor. Modern day Manichaeans do not generally follow the strict asceticism of the ancient Elects, but do allow those seeking such a life to practice it.

Neo-Manichaens believed in a dualistic world view. A light force and a dark force ruled the affairs of humans and the natural world. Because Manichaeism was wiped out by the 16th century (and only existed this long in China), much of the ancient literature and knowledge of this faith is either fragmentary or lost. Although twentieth-century archaeological discoveries made at ancient Manichaean sites in North Africa and Chinese Turkestan (among other places) have dramatically increased the body of Manichaean knowledge, and scholarly efforts to translate and interpret texts are ongoing, there will likely always be gaps in what is known about ancient Manichaeism. These gaps influence and limit the modern Manichaean church.

Some believers follow the beliefs of Marcion, a heretical Christian who claimed two opposed Gods: the Jewish God of the Old Testament and the Christian God of the New Testament. The Old Testament God was perceived as cruel, vengeful, and just. The New God was perceived as kind and forgiving. This inspired, for instance, the worship of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, as he offered knowledge and fought the Jewish God. Marcionism was necessarily anti-semitic, but was wiped out for other reasons early in the Christian era.

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External links

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Last updated on Saturday February 02, 2008 at 23:28:14 PST (GMT -0800)
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