Manichaeism

the founder of Manichaeism lived around 216-277 CE and operated in Iran but his religion migrated throughout many areas over the Roman Empire and in to Asia. His father was a member of the Elcasaites, a Jewish- Christian group in which he grew up in. Mani received visions from a paraclete which told him to leave the Elcasaites and preach his revelations about the natural world and its relationship with life and living the way life was intended to be. This shows the first similarity between Manichaeism and Scientology with the similarities between Mani and LRH, beginning with the enlightenment of both. LRH was enlightened with the knowledge of dianetics through years of research and a heightened level of understanding while Mani was enlightened by his “heavenly twin” about a similar separation of the soul and the body, a relationship with the earth and the necessity of preaching his message. The similarities continue with how both leaders shared their message with the masses. LRH wrote many books about dianetics, scientology and other topics related to his message of self-improvement, which Mani did much of the same. While none of Mani’s writings have survived completely, he authored multiple different writings including the Shapuragan, which outlined his religion to Shapur a Persian King. Along with a handful of other books and letters, Mani…

Saint Augustine’s “Confessions” is written to explain Saint Augustine’s conversion to Christianity. It is important to note that even though “Confessions” is an autobiography, the author is not the exact same person as the Augustine character that appears in the text. The author uses “Confessions” to argue that the motives and manner in how education is taught, such as Augustine’s schooling and Manichee teachings, puts the focus on pleasure of oneself and others. As a result, this strays oneself…

son Adeodatus in 387 in Milan.9 2. Outline of Augustine’s controversies against perfectionism a. State and explain controversies (with references) Augustine returned to North Africa, became Bishop of Hippo, and went on to be one of the leading intellectual in Christendom. After his conversion, He spent most of his time writing extensively against the prominent heresies of Arianism, Palagianism, Manichaeism and, Donatism. Provided below is a brief summary of Augustines critiques of those views:…

As a Manichean, Augustine believed in two ever-opposing forces. Evil, he thought, came from an evil matter from the dark world acting upon the divine imprisoned within him. This notion, however, does not work with Catholicism, and after rejecting Manichaeism he struggled with how to explain it. He was heavily burdened trying to understand the nature of evil, and along with this, the nature of God. He attempted to find a way to define or explain God by looking at the forms of our physical world.…

Manichaeism was a religion that became popular in some regions of Persia in the first century. It was founded my Mani, whose story is told in the Compendium of the Doctrines of Mani. This religion was unique for its time because it was formulated on the use of reason instead of belief like most of the other religions that were prominent at this time. Because of this aspect the Manicheans were persecuted by the Persians, Romans, and Turks who did not agree with the religions practices.…

Aurelius Augustinus was born in a small town in North Africa in 354 c.e. He was popularly known as Saint Augustinus. His father was a pagan. His mother was a Christian. Early on, he pursued a career in the secular direction per his father’s influence. During this time he was a follower of a Gnostic religion founded in Persia known as Manicheanism. At the age of thirty-two he converted to Christianity. He became bishop of Hippo at the age of forty-one. Augustinus never doubted the existence of…

I feel like Augustine’s Confessions theme was spiritual growth. As an infant he recalls that his mother’s milk was from God that is a necessary nutrient needed for growth, nourishment, and development. Augustine was able to recount that everything happens because of God. He confesses his wrongdoings, sins, and acknowledged that He was behind it all. The root causes of all things that happen are on account of God. Augustine declared, “Thus, You brought good for me out of those who did ill, and…

view till today. St. Augustine bishop of Hippo had an immense influenced the development of western ideological and political thoughts. This was because St. Augustine gave important insights that were taken up by successors, scholars and experts of politics and government. These thoughts by later scholars that were based on Augustinian foundations generally developed along lines that Augustine presumably would not have wished. St. Augustine Bishop of Hippo never postulated a political theory of…

Throughout the Confessions, St. Augustine’s rejection of Manichaeism causes him to embrace the Catholic faith once again and accept the assessment that all God’s creation is good while still viewing the created world with cautious awareness of sin. Augustine’s encounters with Patrick, the pears, Cicero’s Hortensius, and St. Ambrose bring to light the ever present enticement to sin because they all lack God in some way and leave him spiritually unfulfilled for different reasons. Although…

everything as literal as stated in the Scriptures. Fortunately, St. Augustine’s Confessions, an autobiography by St. Augustine himself, gives the readers a backstory into his coming to the faith. Along with the other philosophies, mistakes, and struggles he encountered on his journey. Book 3 does a great job of showing Augustine’s constant zeal and passion for the truth, he possesses so much zeal that he seeks for it in the wrong directions. He eventually picks up a heresy known as…