{"product_id":"manichaeism-an-ancient-faith-rediscovered-by-author-nicholas-john-bakerbrian-published-on-april-2011-9780567031679","title":"Manichaeism  An Ancient Faith Rediscovered By author Nicholas John BakerBrian published on April 2011","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDr Nicholas Baker-Brian is Lecturer in Theology at Cardiff University. He is an expert on the Religions of Late Antiquity, especially Manichaeism, and is the author of Manichaeism in the Later Roman Empire: A Study of Augustine's Contra Adimantum.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNot  too long ago, most of what we knew about the Manichaeans - followers of the  third-century religious visionary Mani - came from the pens of their many  enemies. It was hard to understand how a religion that preached sexual  abstinence and vegetarianism as a means to cope with a world ruled by Evil ever  enjoyed any success. Yet at its height Manichaeism spread from Mesopotamia to China in the east and Spain in the west; in North Africa,  it appealed to the young Augustine of Hippo. In this richly informative new  study, Nicholas Baker-Brian digests new discoveries and the explosion of new  thinking they have provoked into a solid introduction to a belief system that  influenced religious thinking in Europe and Asia  for a millennium. He is especially attentive to the connection between lost  rituals and myths that for the first time allows readers to see Manichaeism as a  comprehensive set of ideas and practices. His exemplary handling of sources and  discussion of how to use them make this book as much a primer for students of  antiquity as for students of religion. -- Harold Drake, Department of History, University  of California, Santa Barbara, USA.\u003cbr\u003eIn the studies of ancient religions and cultures few  disciplines are more difficult to approach than Manichaeism, quite simply for its code of conduct, teachings and  internal organization has long puzzled scholars. Its study involves the analysis of a number of key areas -theology,  mythology, comparative literature and ancient history to name but a few- and  deals with texts written in countless languages -namely Latin, ancient Greek,  Syrian and Arabic- spanning a period of thirteen centuries, throughout a vast  territory. Nevertheless misconceptions, a biased historiographical heritage and  a certain degree of sluggishness on the part of many modern scholars in dealing  with original sources have all contributed towards constructing a somewhat  distorted image of Manichaeism. Hence it is within this context that Nicholas  Baker-Brian´s book sets out to dispel such inaccuracies and work towards  establishing a more coherent understanding of such a complicated topic,  irrespective of the fragmentary and corrupt nature of many of the sources on  Mani´s life and teachings. In doing so, Dr. Baker-Brian contests that certain  beliefs in such misleading information and evidence derived from ancient  heresiologists have long been perpetuated by modern scholars. Insightful  analysis of original sources that had been carelessly read and therefore led to  methodological misreading are constant throughout this work and help decipher  the intricate layers that came to constitute Manichaeism. In free from stereotyping analysis Dr Baker-Brian sets  out to deconstruct the monolithic conception that many scholars have come to  embrace with regards the figure and doctrines of Mani, citing that they  themselves have projected their own concerns onto a very different historical  setting and thus adopted many of the ill-found, often biased testimonies that  late antique heresiologists had already ascribed to Mani´s doctrines. In  analyzing each text and testimony within its own historical context, Dr  Baker-Brian goes on to reveal the various literary and historical strategies  that helped make up the identity of Manichaeism, elaborating upon religious,  mythological and historical elements, rearranged in a final portrait that both  clarifies and enriches our knowledge of the religion. Credit is due for the  construction of this monograph: for ultimately, thanks largely to the author's  endeavors, such exposure seeks to help prevent both scholars and students from  relying on simplistic and oversimplified concepts, in turn fortifying the  belief in Manichaeism as an autonomous discipline, and most importantly  perhaps, opening new lines of investigation for future research free from  untainted historical inaccuracies. Once again, this is indeed a very much  welcomed contribution that successfully manages to expurgate mistaken beliefs  from original sources and modern bibliographies whilst at the same time offers  a concise, detailed and substantiated image of Mani and his doctrine. -- Alberto Quiroga Puertas, The University of Granada, Spain.\u003cbr\u003e... manages to incorporate many critical perspectives and discussions... a straightforward and accessible treatment of a topic that is too often neglected. * Studies in Religion 40 (3) *\u003cbr\u003eIn short, Manichaeism: An Ancient Faith Rediscovered is quite a straightforward and accessible treatment of a topic that is too often neglected or considered as tangential to other \"world\" world religions. Baker-Brian's analysis is at home in the academic study of religion, which does not take as self-evident either its object of study or the categories available to describe it. * Studies in Religion \/ Sciences Religieuses - 40(3) *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChapter 1. The Recovery of Manichaeism: Controversies and Sources.; Chapter 2: The Life and Times of Mani: Mesopotamia in the Third Century.; Chapter 3: The Theology of Manichaeism: Scriptures and Traditions.; Chapter 4: Towards a History of the Manichaean Church.; Chapter 5: Conclusion [The Reception of Manichaean Traditions.].","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51767778279767,"sku":"9780567031679","price":34.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780567031679.jpg?v=1758714862","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/manichaeism-an-ancient-faith-rediscovered-by-author-nicholas-john-bakerbrian-published-on-april-2011-9780567031679","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}