DOCSLIB.ORG

I Cristiani Religioni

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
I Cristiani Religioni O P E R A O M N I A VOLUME I JULIEN RIES I CRISTIANI E LE RELIGIONI di fronte e attraverso Jaca Book EDITORIALE Ogni volta che abbiamo deciso Un’Opera Omnia in questi quarant’an- ni di storia della Jaca, è stata sempre una grande emozione. L’emozione piena per vero la si ha non nel decidere la riedizione di un classico antico o scomparso da alcuni decenni, ma nel caso in cui si propone a un autore di organizzare lui stesso la sua Opera Omnia. Così fu con de Lubac e Balthasar, che risposero alla proposta prepa- rando lo schema di ciò che volevano mantenere e conservare della loro opera. A dire il vero de Lubac prima aprì un armadio e disse: «È qui», poi disse che si sarebbe messo a lavorare. Con Julien Ries l’idea è nata in modo del tutto naturale dopo anni di lavoro e collaborazione, sino a sbocciare quasi come un evento inevitabile. L’antropologia del sacro, la storia delle religioni, il dialogo interreligioso e la teologia delle religioni sono una delle ragioni d’essere del lavoro edito- riale di Jaca Book, che Ries ha accompagnato per anni. Ma Ries non è stato solo autore negli ambiti sopra citati; è stato anche un grande editore e organizzatore di seminari e colloqui con rispettive pub- blicazioni. Le edizioni di «Homo Religiosus», create da Ries a Louvain-la- Neuve e proseguite fino ad oggi con pubblicazioni presso Jaca Book e Brepols, restano un pilastro per gli studi di storia delle religioni e di antro- pologia del sacro. Fu così che, quando il 24 ottobre del 2005, con Maretta Campi, nostro direttore editoriale, andammo da Ries di ritorno dalla Fiera del Libro di Francoforte a prendere libri e documenti da tempo giacenti e inadatti a una spedizione, trovammo il primo schema dell’opera Omnia, da noi richiesto, e il grosso dei primi tre volumi già preparati. Il lavoro restante era egualmente molto complesso. Maretta dopo un mese e mezzo mancò per una crisi cardiaca; lo stesso era avvenuto da non molti mesi per l’assistente di Ries, Fabienne, cosa che aveva pesato non poco sull’organizzazione dei suoi lavori. Natale Spineto, amico di Ries, e già collaboratore in più progetti, ha accettato di collaborare alla cura dell’opera Omnia oltre che della edizio- ne dei testi in lingua italiana: gliene sono particolarmente grato. Vorrei aggiungere una semplice notazione. Ries ha insegnato per molti anni, nella sua Opera Omnia appariranno contributi scientifici e saggistici, interventi accademici e spunti culturali, ma ciò che all’inizio di questa impresa dobbiamo affermare è che siamo di fronte al lavoro di un pionie- re. La storia delle religioni non potrà non confrontarsi con l’homo religio- sus di Ries e con la sua antropologia del sacro. Egualmente dovrà farlo la teologia delle religioni in ambito cristiano. S.B. Julien Rjes OPERA OMNIA Volume I Piano dell’opera Omnia I I CRISTIANI E LE RELIGIONI Dagli Atti degli Apostoli al Vaticano II II L’UOMO E IL SACRO NELLA STORIA DELL’UMANITÀ III L’UOMO RELIGIOSO E LA SUA ESPERIENZA DEL SACRO IV SIMBOLO, MITO E RITO, COSTANTI DEL SACRO V LA SCIENZA DELLE RELIGIONI Storia, storiografia, problemi e metodi VI LA STORIA COMPARATA DELLE RELIGIONI E L’ERMENEUTICA VII MITRAISMO E MAZDEISMO VIII RELIGIONI DEL VICINO ORIENTE ANTICO IX GNOSTICISMO E MANICHEISMO X LA CHIESA DI MANI Dottrine e culto XI CORSI Julien Ries I CRISTIANI E LE RELIGIONI DAGLI ATTI DEGLI APOSTOLI AL VATICANO II Editrice Queriniana Jaca Book titolo originale Les chrétiens parmi les religions traduzione dal francese di Pietro Brugnoli e, per l’introduzione, il cap. 20, la Conclusione e le parti bibliografiche, di Riccardo Nanini ©2006 Editoriale Jaca Book SpA, Milano tutti i diritti riservati prima edizione italiana Editrice Queriniana, Brescia 1992 nuova edizione rivista, aggiornata e ampliata nell’opera Omnia Jaca Book settembre 2006 In copertina Mosaico absidale del V secolo, Santa Pudenziana, Roma: Cristo tra la Chiesa dei Gentili e quella dei Giudei. In J. Plazaola, La Chiesa e l'arte. Dalle origini ai nostri giorni, Jaca Book, Milano 2001 Redazione e impaginazione Gioanola Elisabetta, San Salvatore Monferrato (Al) ISBN 978-88-16-40777-0 Per informazioni sulle opere pubblicate e in programma ci si può rivolgere a Editoriale Jaca Book SpA - Servizio Lettori via Frua 11, 20146 Milano, tel. 02/48561520-29, fax 02/48193361 e-mail: [email protected]; internet: www.jacabook.it INDICE Introduzione XXI Parte prima DAGLI ATTI DEGLI APOSTOLI AL DE CAVITATE DEI DI SANT’AGOSTINO 1 Capitolo primo I CRISTIANI CERCANO LA PROPRIA VIA 3 I. I testimoni della Chiesa primitiva 3 1. La comunità di Gerusalemme 3 2. L’apertura ai pagani 5 3. Cristianesimo, giudaismo, ellenismo 7 Conclusioni 10 II. Il mondo ellenistico 11 1. L’ellenizzazione dei culti orientali 11 2. Ellenismo e mondo ellenistico 14 3. La vita religiosa 16 a) Due grandi correnti religiose: la filosofia e il misticismo 16 b) L’uomo religioso in cerca di salvezza 19 4. All’alba del cristianesimo 20 Conclusioni 22 Indicazioni bibliografiche 23 VII Indice Capitolo secondo IL CONFLITTO TRA PAGANI E CRISTIANI NEL II E III SECOLO 27 I. La polemica anticristiana 28 1. Gli argomenti popolari 28 2. Il disprezzo intellettuale pagano: Celso e il suo Discorso di verità 29 3. L’opposizione neoplatonica: il Trattato contro i cristiani di Porfirio 31 IL La difesa cristiana nel II secolo: gli apologisti greci 33 1. All’alba dell’apologetica 34 2. Il trionfo dell’apologetica: Giustino martire 35 3. Nella scia di Giustino 37 4. Taziano e il rifiuto della cultura greca 38 III. Gli apologisti latini nel II e III secolo 40 1. Tertulliano, il primo apologista latino 41 2. Un dialogo apologetico: l'Octavius di Minucio Felice 43 3. Gli schemi della polemica contro gli dèi 44 Conclusioni 46 Indicazioni bibliografiche 47 Capitolo terzo ELLENISMO E CRISTIANESIMO 51 I. Alessandria e l’ellenismo 51 1. Alessandria 51 2. Filone 52 3. Filone, ellenismo e cristianesimo 52 IL Clemente Alessandrino e la praeparatio evangelica 53 1. Paganesimo e cristianesimo secondo il Protrettico 54 2. Gli Stromata e la praeparatio evangelica 56 3. Cristianesimo e sapienza pagana 58 III. Origene: sapienza pagana e salvezza cristiana 59 1. Vita e opere di Origene 59 a) La vita 59 b) L’opera 60 2. La salvezza nell’ellenismo e nel cristianesimo 61 3. Un saggio di religioni comparate 63 4. La religione e la città 64 Conclusioni 66 Indicazioni bibliografiche 68 VIII Indice Capitolo quarto I CRISTIANI DI FRONTE AGLI IDOLI E AI MITI 71 I. La polemica anticristiana 71 1. La terminologia 72 2. L’idolatria nell’Antico Testamento 72 3. Le immagini sacre nel mondo ellenistico 73 4. I primi cristiani di fronte agli idoli 75 5. L’argomentazione degli apologisti latini 77 II. La discussione sul simbolismo della croce 79 1. Gli attacchi pagani 79 2. I cristiani e la croce 80 3. La croce nell’arte cristiana antica 82 III. I miti pagani e il Vangelo 82 1. L’esegesi pagana dei miti 83 2. I cristiani e l’esegesi dei miti 86 a) Clemente Alessandrino 86 b) Origene 88 Conclusioni 90 Indicazioni bibliografiche 91 Capitolo quinto LA CHIESA CRISTIANA E GLI GNOSTICI 93 I. La gnosi e lo gnosticismo 94 1. Approcci al fenomeno gnostico 94 2. Le origini dello gnosticismo 96 3. Essenza e struttura dello gnosticismo 97 IL Gli attacchi gnostici contro la Chiesa 99 1. I documenti polemici di Nag Hammadi 99 2. La struttura della polemica gnostica 101 III. Ireneo di Lione contro gli gnostici 102 IV. Tertulliano contro i valentiniani 106 V. La polemica antignostica di Ippolito Romano 108 Conclusioni 111 Indicazioni bibliografiche 114 IX Indice Capitolo sesto CRISTIANESIMO E MANICHEISMO. LO SCONTRO TRA DUE RELIGIONI UNIVERSALI DI SALVEZZA 117 § I. Mani «Apostolo di Gesù Cristo» 118 I. Mani, Profeta e fondatore di una Chiesa 118 1. L’antica biografia di Mani 118 2. La biografia copta di Medinet Mâdi 119 3. La formazione del Profetanell’ambiente elcesaita 120 IL Missione di Gesù e missione di Mani 121 1. La missione di Gesù 122 2. La missione di Mani 122 3. La rivelazione dei misteri 123 III. La Chiesa gnostica di fronte alla Chiesa cristiana 124 1. Le Scritture sacre 124 2. Gesù e la salvezza gnostica 125 3. La Chiesa cristiana e la Chiesa manichea 127 § IL I cristiani contro i manichei 129 I. I cristiani al crocevia delle strade missionarie del manicheismo 130 IL Efrem di Nisibi (306-373) contro i manichei 134 1. La polemica antimanichea di Efrem 135 2. L’immagine di Mani tracciata da Efrem 136 3. La polemica contro il dualismo 136 4. Il metodo pastorale di Efrem 137 III. La lotta di Agostino contro i manichei d’Africa 138 1. L’esperienza manichea di Agostino 138 2. I trattati antimanichei di Agostino 139 3. La risposta di Agostino all’esegesi manichea 140 Conclusioni 143 Indicazioni bibliografiche 146 Capitolo settimo CRISTIANI E PAGANI IN MEZZO AI GRANDI CAMBIAMENTI DEL III E IV SECOLO 149 I. I cristiani e l’impero romano 150 1. L’avvento della Tetrarchia e le persecuzioni 150 2. La grande persecuzione contro i cristiani (303-312) 151 3. Costantino e l’impero cristiano 152 4. L’imperatore Giuliano, restauratore del culto degli dèi 153 5. Giuliano contro i cristiani 154 X Indice 6. Il Contra Galilaeos 154 II. Teologia imperiale e mistica cosmica 155 1. Il culto dei sovrani 155 2. Culto solare e mistica cosmica 157 3. I cristiani e la religione imperiale 158 III.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The 'Teachers' of Mani in the Acta Archelai and Simon Magus
    THE ‘TEACHERS’ OF MANI IN THE ACTA ARCHELAI AND SIMON MAGUS 1 by ESZTER SPÄT Abstract: This paper aims to prove that the biography of Mani in the Acta Archelae of Hegemonius, which contains a great number of completely ctitious elements, was in fact drawn up on the le of Simon Magus, pater omnium haereticorum , using the works of heresiologists and the apocryphal acts, espe- cially the Pseudo-Clementine Recognitiones , as a model and source. There are a great number of elements in this Vita Manis that bear a strong resemblance to the well known motives of Simon’s life. Projecting Simon’s life over that of Mani serves as tool to reinforce the image of Mani that Hegemonius tried to convey: that of just another ‘run of the mill’ heretic, one in the long line of the disciples of Simon, and a fraud and devoid of any originality. The Acta Archelai of Hegemonius, 2 composed between 330 and 348 in Syria, 3 was the rst Christian work written against Manichaeans. The text of the Acta, as a whole, has survived only in the Latin translation, though a great part of its Greek text has been preserved in the Panarion (or ‘Medicine Chest’) of Epiphanius, who seems to have often copied his source almost word for word in the chapter on Manichaeism. 4 Besides being the rst it was also, in many respects, the most in uential. It was a source of mate- rial, both on Manichaean mythology and on the gure of Mani, for a long list of historians and theologians who engaged in polemics against the 1 I express my thanks to Professor J.
    [Show full text]
  • The Expansion of Christianity: a Gazetteer of Its First Three Centuries
    THE EXPANSION OF CHRISTIANITY SUPPLEMENTS TO VIGILIAE CHRISTIANAE Formerly Philosophia Patrum TEXTS AND STUDIES OF EARLY CHRISTIAN LIFE AND LANGUAGE EDITORS J. DEN BOEFT — J. VAN OORT — W.L. PETERSEN D.T. RUNIA — C. SCHOLTEN — J.C.M. VAN WINDEN VOLUME LXIX THE EXPANSION OF CHRISTIANITY A GAZETTEER OF ITS FIRST THREE CENTURIES BY RODERIC L. MULLEN BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON 2004 This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mullen, Roderic L. The expansion of Christianity : a gazetteer of its first three centuries / Roderic L. Mullen. p. cm. — (Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae, ISSN 0920-623X ; v. 69) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 90-04-13135-3 (alk. paper) 1. Church history—Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600. I. Title. II. Series. BR165.M96 2003 270.1—dc22 2003065171 ISSN 0920-623X ISBN 90 04 13135 3 © Copyright 2004 by Koninklijke Brill nv, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands For Anya This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS Preface ........................................................................................ ix Introduction ................................................................................ 1 PART ONE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES IN ASIA BEFORE 325 C.E. Palestine .....................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Augustine on Manichaeism and Charisma
    Religions 2012, 3, 808–816; doi:10.3390/rel3030808 OPEN ACCESS religions ISSN 2077-1444 www.mdpi.com/journal/religions Article Augustine on Manichaeism and Charisma Peter Iver Kaufman Jepson School, University of Richmond, Room 245, Jepson Hall, 28 Westhampton Way, Richmond, VA 23173, USA; E-Mail: [email protected] Received: 5 June 2012; in revised form: 28 July 2012 / Accepted: 1 August 2012 / Published: 3 September 2012 Abstract: Augustine was suspicious of charismatics‘ claims to superior righteousness, which supposedly authorized them to relay truths about creation and redemption. What follows finds the origins of that suspicion in his disenchantment with celebrities on whom Manichees relied, specialists whose impeccable behavior and intellectual virtuosity were taken as signs that they possessed insight into the meaning of Christianity‘s sacred texts. Augustine‘s struggles for self-identity and with his faith‘s intelligibility during the late 370s, 380s, and early 390s led him to prefer that his intermediaries between God and humanity be dead (martyred), rather than alive and charismatic. Keywords: arrogance; Augustine; charisma; esotericism; Faustus; Mani; Manichaeism; truth The Manichaean elite or elect adored publicity. Augustine wrote the first of his caustic treatises against them in 387, soon after he had been baptized in Milan and as he was planning passage back to Africa, where he was born, raised, and educated. Baptism marked his devotion to the emerging mainstream Christian orthodoxy and his disenchantment with the Manichees‘ increasingly marginalized Christian sect, in which, for nine or ten years, in North Africa and Italy, he listened to specialists—charismatic leaders and teachers.
    [Show full text]
  • A Church to Surpass All Churches Manichaeism As a Test Case for the Theory of Reception Timothy Pettipiece
    Document generated on 09/25/2021 6:59 a.m. Laval théologique et philosophique A Church to Surpass All Churches Manichaeism as a Test Case for the Theory of Reception Timothy Pettipiece La théorie de la réception Article abstract Volume 61, Number 2, juin 2005 In order to test the utility of the theory of reception for the study of Manichaeism, this paper examines how Manichaean efforts to establish URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/011816ar cultural and linguistic continuities in their various missionary environments DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/011816ar were not enough to sustain the Religion of Light. Instead, the fact that Mani considered his revelation as superior to others ultimately seems to have See table of contents hindered its reception by a variety of host cultures. Publisher(s) Faculté de philosophie, Université Laval Faculté de théologie et de sciences religieuses, Université Laval ISSN 0023-9054 (print) 1703-8804 (digital) Explore this journal Cite this article Pettipiece, T. (2005). A Church to Surpass All Churches : manichaeism as a Test Case for the Theory of Reception. Laval théologique et philosophique, 61(2), 247–260. https://doi.org/10.7202/011816ar Tous droits réservés © Laval théologique et philosophique, Université Laval, This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit 2005 (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal.
    [Show full text]
  • Studies and Sources in Islamic Art and Architecture
    STUDIES AND SOURCES IN ISLAMIC ART AND ARCHITECTURE SUPPLEMENTS TO MUQARNAS Sponsored by the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. VOLUME IX PREFACING THE IMAGE THE WRITING OF ART HISTORY IN SIXTEENTH-CENTURY IRAN BY DAVID J. ROXBURGH BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON • KÖLN 2001 This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Roxburgh, David J. Prefacing the image : the writing of art history in sixteenth-century Iran / David J. Roxburgh. p. cm. — (Studies and sources in Islamic art and architecture. Supplements to Muqarnas, ISSN 0921 0326 ; v. 9) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 9004113762 (alk. papier) 1. Art, Safavid—Historiography—Sources. 2. Art, Islamic—Iran– –Historiography—Sources. 3. Art criticism—Iran—History—Sources. I. Title. II. Series. N7283 .R69 2000 701’.18’095509024—dc21 00-062126 CIP Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme Roxburgh, David J.: Prefacing the image : the writing of art history in sixteenth century Iran / by David J. Roxburgh. – Leiden; Boston; Köln : Brill, 2000 (Studies and sources in Islamic art and architectue; Vol 9) ISBN 90-04-11376-2 ISSN 0921-0326 ISBN 90 04 11376 2 © Copyright 2001 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers MA 01923, USA.
    [Show full text]
  • Manichaeism As a Test Case for the Theory of Reception Timothy Pettipiece
    Document généré le 29 sept. 2021 15:02 Laval théologique et philosophique A Church to Surpass All Churches Manichaeism as a Test Case for the Theory of Reception Timothy Pettipiece La théorie de la réception Résumé de l'article Volume 61, numéro 2, juin 2005 En vue de tester la viabilité de la théorie de la réception pour l’étude du manichéisme, cette étude examine comment l’effort manichéen d’établir des URI : https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/011816ar liens culturels et linguistiques dans les milieux où s’exerça la mission DOI : https://doi.org/10.7202/011816ar manichéenne n’a pas suffi à assurer le maintien de la Religion de Lumière. Le fait que Mani considérait sa révélation comme supérieure aux autres a au Aller au sommaire du numéro contraire empêché sa réception par les cultures chez lesquelles elle voulait être accueillie. Éditeur(s) Faculté de philosophie, Université Laval Faculté de théologie et de sciences religieuses, Université Laval ISSN 0023-9054 (imprimé) 1703-8804 (numérique) Découvrir la revue Citer cet article Pettipiece, T. (2005). A Church to Surpass All Churches : manichaeism as a Test Case for the Theory of Reception. Laval théologique et philosophique, 61(2), 247–260. https://doi.org/10.7202/011816ar Tous droits réservés © Laval théologique et philosophique, Université Laval, Ce document est protégé par la loi sur le droit d’auteur. L’utilisation des 2005 services d’Érudit (y compris la reproduction) est assujettie à sa politique d’utilisation que vous pouvez consulter en ligne. https://apropos.erudit.org/fr/usagers/politique-dutilisation/ Cet article est diffusé et préservé par Érudit.
    [Show full text]
  • 5988 Aram 16 09 Lieu
    ARAM, 16 (2004) 129-140 S.N.C. LIEU 129 MANICHAEAN TERMS IN SYRIAC: SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THEIR TRANSMISSION AND TRANSFORMATION SAMUEL N. C. LIEU (Macquarie University – Sydney) INTRODUCTION Mani, according to Epiphanius, the heresiologist from Salamis in Cyprus was a child-slave of a merchant who traded in strange ideas as well as exotica by the name of Scythianus. Upon the death of his master, he was manumitted by his widow and he inherited from her a number of books which once be- longed to his master with the following titles: (1) The Book of the Mysteries, (2) The Book of Summaries (kephalaia), (3) The Gospel, (4) The Treasures.1 Later on, interestingly, Epiphanius mentions a “lesser Treasures” which might have been a summary of the larger work.2 Moreover, Epiphanius also tells us that one of the books is composed of <twenty-two> sections to match the twenty-two letters of the Syriac alphabet, as most Persians used the Syriac let- ters as well as the Persian, and that the Syrians were proud of the antiquity of their letters especially among the Palmyrenes.3 This information, surprisingly, is commonly ignored by Manichaean scholars, even more so in view of our knowledge of genuine Manichaean texts from Central Asia many of which are written in an Estrangela script which exhibits some resemblance with the Palmyrene cursive, though not with the better known monumental version of the Palmyrene script. According to the Fihrist of al-Nadim, still our most im- portant single source on Manichaeism in Arabic: Mani wrote seven books, one in Farsi (i.e.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sea of Fire As a Chinese Manichaean Metaphor: Source Materials for Mapping an Unnoticed Image
    the chinese manichaean sea of fire gábor kósa The Sea of Fire as a Chinese Manichaean Metaphor: Source Materials for Mapping an Unnoticed Image n this essay I concentrate on what is merely a small part of a larger I Manichaean cosmogonical narrative. In order to understand this small part, it is useful first to summarize the turning points of the his- tory of Manichaeism, and then give a brief overview of the Manichaean sources used. In this first part, my presentation will provide general and simplified information in order to make some basic facts accessible to those who are not students of Manichaeism. The most substantial por- tion of the essay elaborates on a single image – the “Sea of Fire” – and associated concepts by collecting and comparing the available Chinese and non-Chinese Manichaean texts. The aim is to show how the Chinese Manichaean texts at our disposal derive in certain ways from a stock of Western-language forebears, and how certain themes and linguistic forms from the latter texts remained in the Chinese counterparts. An- other aim is to show how such themes are related to both Manichaean religious ideas and Chinese concepts. MANICHAEISM A Short History of the Religious Movement Mƒn… (216–ca. 277 ad), the founder of Manichaeism, was born not far from the capital of the Arsacid Empire (ca. 250 bc−226 ad), Seleucia-Ctesiphon, and was brought up in a Jewish-Christian baptismal community (Elchasaites) to which his father Patt…g brought the young The first version of this essay was written with the help of a postdoctoral scholarship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (FY2008); it was completed with a scholarship from the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange (PD003-U-09).
    [Show full text]
  • The Gnostic Religion 1940 Joined the British Army in the Middle East
    THE MESSAGE OF THE ALIEN GOD & THE BEGINNINGS OF CHRISTIANITY Hans Jonas (1903-1993) was born and educated in Germany, where he was a pupil of Martin Heidegger and Rudolf Bult- mann. He left in 1933, when Hitler came into power, and in The Gnostic Religion 1940 joined the British Army in the Middle East. After the war he taught at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Carleton Uni- versity in Ottawa, finally settling in the United States. He was the Alvin Johnson Professor of Philosophy on the Graduate Fac- HANS JONAS ulty of Political and Social Science at the New School for Social Research in New York. Professor Jonas was also author of, among other books, The Phenomenon of Life (1966). He died in 1993- THIRD EDITION BEACON PRESS BOSTON Beacon Press For Lore Jonas 25 Beacon Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108-2892 www.beacon.org Beacon Press books are published under the auspices of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. © 1958, 1963, 1991, 2001 by Hans Jonas All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 05 04 03 02 01 00 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper that meets the uncoated paper ANSI/NISO specifications for permanence as revised in 1992. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jonas, Hans The gnostic religion : the message of the alien God and the beginnings of Christianity / Hans Jonas.—3rd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8070-5801-7 (pbk.) I. Gnosticism I. Title BT1390 J62 2001 00-060852 273'.1— dc21 Scanned: February 2005 Contents Preface to the Third Edition xiii Note on the Occasion of the Third Printing (1970) xxx Preface to the Second Edition xxvi Preface to the First Edition xxxi Abbreviations xxxiii 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Was the Religious Manichaean Narrative a Mythical Narrative? Some Remarks from the Perspective of Andrzej Wierciński's Defini
    Studia Religiologica 49 (2) 2016, s. 119–131 doi:10.4467/20844077SR.16.008.5229 www.ejournals.eu/Studia-Religiologica Was the Religious Manichaean Narrative a Mythical Narrative? Some Remarks from the Perspective of Andrzej Wierciński’s Definition of Myth Mariusz Dobkowski Abstract Many specialists in Manichaeism wrote after World War II about the religious Manichaean narra- tive as a myth or a mythology. In this paper I examine whether the Manichaean narrative actually meets the criteria of definition of myth. This question is also worth asking because some scholars emphasise the monosemic character of the mentioned narrative. The definition of myth which I use is that of Andrzej Wierciński (1930–2003), a Polish anthropologist of religion. Among my reasons for choosing this is because it includes as many as nine features of myth and also refers to scien- tific narrative, which by its nature has one level of meaning. I refer this definition, above all, to Manichaean evidence in the Coptic language, but when the need arises I also invoke other sources, both polemical and apologetic. Key words: Manichaeism, myth, Andrzej Wierciński The main reason why I decided to address this issue is the observation that since the mid-twentieth century almost all scholars specialising in Manichaeism have univer- sally talked about the doctrine of “the religion of Light” as a myth or a mythology. For example, in 1949 Henri-Charles Puech wrote these words about the doctrine of Manichaeism in his monograph on this religion: “en fait, malgré toutes ses ambi- tions, dans Manichéisme comme dans tout gnosticisme, cette science qui se croit pure Raison se résout en mythes”.1 Then, in 1998 Manfred Hauser titled his extensive es- say, which reconstructs religious Manichaean narrative on the basis of the discovery from Medinet Madi, “The Manichaean Myth According to The Coptic Sources”.2 And finally, in the most recent monograph on “the religion of Light”, by Nicholas 1 H.-C.
    [Show full text]
  • The Gnostic World Gnostics and Temporality
    This article was downloaded by: 10.3.98.104 On: 03 Oct 2021 Access details: subscription number Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG, UK The Gnostic World Garry W. Trompf, Gunner B. Mikkelsen, Jay Johnston Gnostics and temporality: from myth to macrohistory Publication details https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9781315561608-4 Garry W. Trompf Published online on: 11 Oct 2018 How to cite :- Garry W. Trompf. 11 Oct 2018, Gnostics and temporality: from myth to macrohistory from: The Gnostic World Routledge Accessed on: 03 Oct 2021 https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9781315561608-4 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR DOCUMENT Full terms and conditions of use: https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/legal-notices/terms This Document PDF may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproductions, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The publisher shall not be liable for an loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. 43 CHAPTER THREE GNOSTICS AND TEMPORALITY: FROM MYTH TO MACROHISTORY Garry W. Trompf ow history is conceived in Gnostic strains of thought is enigmatic. Setting Hdown a narrative order of human events is rarely a key concern of those seeking a deep knowledge of celestial arrangements and the path to the eternally non- contingent.
    [Show full text]
  • A Boundless Text for a Boundless Author the Representation of the Chinese World in Sadīd Al-Dīn Muḥammad ʿawfī’S Jawāmiʿ Al-Ḥikāyāt Wa Lawāmi Al-Riwāyāt
    In limine Esplorazioni attorno all’idea di confine a cura di Francesco Calzolaio, Erika Petrocchi, Marco Valisano, Alessia Zubani A Boundless Text for a Boundless Author The Representation of the Chinese World in Sadīd al-Dīn Muḥammad ʿAwfī’s Jawāmiʿ al-Ḥikāyāt wa Lawāmi al-Riwāyāt Francesco Calzolaio (Université de Limoges, EHIC, France; Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Italia) Abstract The inclusivity of New Persian literary canon, in which images of non-Muslim, non-Persian spaces and peoples play a central role, is well-known. Less explored, however, are the hows and whys of such inclusivity, which stem from a process of observation and translation into literary language of historic realia pertaining to the wide Eurasian horizon. An analysis of the textual space occupied by the Chinese world in ʿAwfī’s Jawāmiʿ al-Ḥikāyāt, a monumental thirteenth century literary ency- clopaedia, may help us shed some light on the matter, providing an example of translation of several cultural items pertaining to the Chinese world into Persian literary language. Summary 1 ʿAwfī’s Jawāmiʿ al-Ḥikāyāt wa Lawāmiʿ al-Riwāyāt in the Twelfth Century Central Asian Context. – 2 More than Turkestan, Less than China: Political and Geo-Ethnographic Aspects of ʿAwfī’s China. – 2.1 Reading the Past Through the Present: ʿAwfī’s ‘Chinese’ Hephthalites. – 2.2 The Contemporary Landscape: Uyghurs and Khitans as ‘Chinese’. – 2.3 The Qara Khitai: Pisar-i Sāvijī, a Literary Yelü Dashi? – 3 Kufr-i chīn. Religious and Cultural Aspects of ʿAwfī’s China. – 3.1 The Predication of Mani: China as the Realm of Aesthetics. – 3.2 The Predication of Āfarīd e Muqannaʿ: Eastern Asian Religious Motives in Pre-Mongol Khorasan? – 4 Conclusion: ʿAwfī’s China, a Familiar Stranger.
    [Show full text]