A new religion? The emergence of Manichaeism in Late Antiquity

This chapter investigates the close relationship between Mani, Manichaeism, and empire in Late Antiquity; in particular it examines the dialogue between the legitimizing language of empire, and the scope and character of Mani's teachings as a form of theological rhetoric. The theological narrativizing of Mani's loss of patronage and subsequent imprisonment and death into a passion story akin to the Gospel's depiction of Jesus’ last days became a pillar of Manichaean liturgy. The evolution of legendary material for Mani's birth and upbringing offers a portrayal of Mani's emergence as an iconoclast. Mani relativized his own contribution by identifying prior exponents of “wisdom and deeds” from previous eras. Key features of Mani's religion actively rejected the prevailing norms and values of local society in a spirit that chimed with earlier Gnostic attempts to formulate a countercultural response to the ills afflicting the human soul