how and why did manicheism spread out more than Christianity and Islam, coming from the same region?
don´t know the reason, but looking at the map it´s easy to guess it was the Silk Road
Also support of Persian nobles
Because it's basically an idea that boils down to "there's good and bad, be good for god and avoid evil from the devil".
It's just basically a blank dualism that you can insert anything into and fits into the human desire to figure out what's right or wrong and doesn't require believing in these clearly fictional stories as actual fact.
So, with something that vague, it's bound to grow larger because it's also easier to adapt to various cultures.
because mani incorporated an array of different teachings into his doctrine- eastern and western, and proselytised avidly, tailoring his teachings to suit local target audiences
>>1118535
manichaeism was never a state religion. indeed manichaeans were widely persecuted by zoroastrians (and later by muslims, christians). mani himself was put to death for trying to convert zoroastrian persian rulers
>>1117344
Satan.
>>1118548
actual manichaeism (there is much confusion with other gnostic dualistic sects) had a fairly rigid doctrine and was black and white not vague. elements were indeed adapted and translated to suit but the central cosmology and eschatology remained intact.
>>1117344
i always confuse manichaeism and mandaeism.
>>1118572
mani believed jesus (who was spirit only) would defeat the antichrist in the second coming (mani also believed he was the reincarnation of jesus, adam, zoroaster, krishna and buddha in one)
then the material world would be destroyed and elements would revert to a the primordial condition whereby there are realms of light and dark
>>1118611
I think that Mandaeism is going to die out too
>>1118611
true manichaeism is extinct (some youtubers aside)
mandaeism still exists. it probably predates manichaeism and influenced it
>>1118621
probably true desu
>>1118624
>mandaeism still exists. it probably predates manichaeism and influenced it
IIRC they were born during the same period (~200 AD) even though Mandaeans think that lots of important people were part of them (Socrates, the Pharaohs etc.)
>>1118792
i think some scholars have attributed some pre-christian persian dualistic beliefs with mandaeaism, but most sources see it as a gnosticism.
could be related to these guys
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandaeism#Elkasaites
>>1118624
well I´ve read that Vietnam communist government was after manichean sects well into the 70s, there must be some around
>>1118624
who are some manichaean youtubers i should check out?
>>1117344
Unlike most religion founders, Mani actively worked on making his religion actually universal. He wrote several religious works in different languages and also liked to have them illustrated so they could be understood better.
It also helps a lot that, after Shapur's death, the sasanian monarchy changed from supporting manicheans to persecute them. They were literally forced to spread very soon.
To end with it, Mani included eastern concepts (mainly indian/budhist ones) into his religion. Jesus and Muhammad did not.
>>1118611
Better than confusing it with Zoroastrianism like literally everyone I know (outside of academic circles) that has some notion that one of the two exist.
>>1118585
Well, it was vague in the fact that you could call the mythological figures by local terms. So in Iranian languages the Father of Greatness would be identified with Zurvan, in Greek world with Uranos (iirc), etc.
This eliminated the need to explain everything from the basics.
>>1117364
This
>>1117344
Looking at your map, it didn't spread more than Christianity. Nestorian Christianity was pretty big in Central Asia and China, but in the former it died out after the Mongol Empire fragmented, and in the latter after the fall of T'ang dynasty. The only difference on the map is southern Chinese Manichaeism which apparently survived until XVIIth century.
>>1121003
well, manicheism reached Japan (ofc it came to nothing)
>he doesn't know about the nestorian christians in mongolia
toghrul, one of temüjin's rivals, was christian; after defeating him, he married his son tolui to one of his daughters (or niece, I'm not sure), she was mother of hülegü (who sacked baghdad), ariqbökh, möngke and khublai (founder of yuan dynasty)
>>1118565
Manichaeism is an off-shoot of Zoroastrianism
>>1121669
that´s the opinion of some historians
others say it´s mainly from greco/jewish gnosticism
a mixed bag in any case
>>1121669
and the bahai faith emerges from islam in iran, that didnt stop islamic iran from persecuting the bahais
>>1121669
Not really, reality is not crusader kings. While undeniably iranian in it's core, manicheism is not zoroastrian by any means. The sasanians differentiated between heretical zoroastrianism and different religions. The faith of Mani, when persecuted, is listed with christianity, judaism, budhism, hinduism, etc.
>>1122483
>Clerics represent the belief of everyone
