St. augustine rejected the theories of manicheanism.research this Essay

St. augustine rejected the theories of manicheanism.research this gnostic religion in more detail.what does it teachHow is it diiffernt than Christianity and w - Essay Example The fortuitous discovery of Manichean manuscripts in Turfan in the beginning of the twentieth century has thrown light on the history of the religion and its’ founder. Mani was born in Mardinu, a village in Babylon, in 215 – 216 A.D. to Fatak Babak and Marmajam, of noble Iranian lineage. Mani was a honorific and his true name does not survive, although it is postulated to be Shuraik. At twelve, Mani apparently had a revelation, in which the angel, ‘At Taum’ or ‘the Twin,’ urged him to embrace chastity, and later, to spread the doctrine of his new religion to others. On March 20, 242 A.D. when Sapor 1 was crowned King of Babylon, Mani proclaimed the birth of his new religion to the public: â€Å"As once Buddha came to India, Zoroaster to Persia and Jesus to the lands of the West, so came in the present time, this prophecy through me, the Mani, to the land of Babylonia† (Arendzen, The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies Web site). Maniâ€⠄¢s teachings found little acceptance in Babylon, until he gained access to the royal court. Later, he was exiled and spread his message to foreign lands, as afar as India and China. He was reinstated in court by Ormzud in 274. However, the machinations of the Zoroasterian priests led to King Bahram ordering him to be tortured and killed in 276 - 277. His corpse was publicly flayed, stuffed and crucified as a deterrent to other followers of this ‘heretical religion.’ The teachings of Manicheanism centered on the distinct dualism of mind and matter, of light and darkness, of good and evil. Salvation can be attained by liberating light from the engulfing darkness. Mani used an effective combination of myth, preaching and reasoning to spread his new religion. At the origin of the universe, the eternal Paradise of Light extended limitlessly towards the North, West and East, presided over by the Father of Greatness and