Talk

The Manichaeans

The Manichaeans: From Christian Arch-Heresy to Global Religion

This talk will introduce the life and teachings of Mani, the 3rd-century prophet of Babylon, who founded his own religion based on a combination of Christian and Iranian (Zoroastrian) doctrines and rituals, while engaging with Buddhism, Judaism, and paganism in various missionary endeavors East and West. As his religion spread across the globe, from Rome to China, Mani was widely condemned as a heretic and his writings burned. Spectacular manuscript discoveries in the last century, including the Coptic Manichaean books now on display at the Chester Beatty Library, have finally made it possible to develop a more complete picture of this alluring world religion from the distant past.

Free, no booking required.

Prof. Paul Dilley, Associate Professor in the Departments of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Iowa

Bio:
Paul Dilley is Associate Professor in the Departments of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Iowa. He studies the religions of Late Antiquity, with a focus on early Christianity in Egypt and Syria. Professor Dilley frequently works with ancient and medieval manuscripts in Greek and Coptic, and is a co-editor of the Chester Beatty’s Kephalaia codex, one of the precious Manichaean books currently in the special exhibit.