COSC2U2@elroy.uh.edu (09/04/89)
My appologies for my long delayed response on the Albigeneses, et. al. In my History of Predestination, I mentioned the Manicheans as figuring prominently in the doctrine of Predestination. Indeed, they spawned St. Augustine who argued for both Free Will and Predestination. No other Christain proponent existed for Predestination before Augustine. On the Free Will side, there was St. John Chrysostom, St. Ambrose, and St. Jerome. The Manicheans were the followers of Persian Prophet Mani, who developed a SYNECRETIC (not Synergistic as in my last article. I used the wrong word) religion based upon the prevailing Zarathustrianism, but including Buddhist Ethics and Christain History. Synecretism means blending of religious beliefs. It is an appeasment strategey that consists of apparently conforming to the religious surroundings by redefining your terms thusly, and by seemingly giving up a doctrine or two for the sake of compromise. At a later date, you revert to the old beliefs, when your faction is in control. This does not always work, and some beliefs get altered through the course of time. In severe persecution, you simply go underground or form a church within a church. Though the original Manicheans were pagans, they evolved into Christain Heretics. The Manicheans believes in 2 gods. The good god was named Ahura-Mazda, or Ormuzd. He was the Champion of Light, the Fire God, and could be identified with Yaweh. In Norse Mythology, he actually appears as Tyr. He represented light and spirituality. Since vegetables were a source of light, Vegetarianism was an essential doctrine. The evil god was named Ahriman, Champion of darkness, and matter. Meat was darkness. Eating roasted meat was trapping light so that it could not be liberated, thereby delaying the victory of the Kingdom of Light. Ahriman was identified as Satan (Satan is really an Anti-Michael, but recieves a promotion to Anti-Yahweh according to this set of doctrines), and appears as Surt in Norse Mythology. Procreating was another way of trapping light into darkness, but was a forgivable sin. Predestination was the center piece of Manichean beliefs. In addition, there is a complex accompanying Cosmology, Some of it sexually suggestive. In the end, the world is set into flames to liberate all of the light in Ahura-Mazda's final victory, much like Norse Ragnorok. This background information is to but into context 4 religious sects, 1 of which can be classified as Manichean, 1 as borderline Manichean, and two of which is non-Manichean. CATHARI/Albigeneses Professing God/Satan Dualism, the priests were ascetic, celebate, vegetarian, living a "Perfect" life. There were 2 classes, the perfectii (priests) and credentes. The credentes were not bound by the moral code of the priests, but had to recieve grace through the consolamentum ceremony immediately before they departed to the higher plane. They differed from Mainline Manicheans in that they substituted reincarnation for Predestination. They were the results of Bulgarian Bogomil Missionaries in France in the Eleventh Century. WALDINSIANS Peter Waldo, a prosperous merchant and Usurer, was impressed by the life of St. Alexis. He took a vow of Poverty and lived a life of ascetism as a beggar and preacher. Recruiting unlettered men as followers, he had them recite passages of scripture. Their mistakes were those of ignorance. After undergoing severe persecution, the remnants became the Protestant Church of Italy. Historians tend to regard them as disobedient enthusiasts. They were not sophisticated enough to be a true Manichean, though they did associate with the Albigeneses. LOLLARDS Followers of Wyclif, theologian at Oxford. An opponent of the wealth and luxury of the Church, professing ascetism. John of Ghent was pleased to have him as an ecclesiastical supporter, and protected him. Adopted the Donatist position that a sinful priest lost the ability to be a priest and exercise priestly functions. His belief in Predestination was absolute, i.e., Predestination was both to Heavan and to Hell. Though some Manichean elements such as ascetism and Predestination can be found in his Theology, no apparent comminication with other "Manicheans" was visible. Any application of the word "Manichean" on the Lollards is strictly an attack upon Predestination. The Lollards went underground after token and half-hearted persecution, and eventully resurfaced to join in the Reformation. HUSSITES Lollard scholars going to Czechoslovakia as a the result of the marraige of Anne of Bohemia to Richard II provided the spark to revive the underground "Czech Orthodox Church"(Not to be confused with the newly formed 20th Century Church of the same name). The initial success of Sts. Cyril and Methodius waned after their deaths. Under pressure by German and Catholic influences, the Church retreated to Hungary and went underground in Czechoslavakia. With the exception of Peter the Hermit, whose followers Congregated on a mountaintop, and outcasts from both Hussite and Catholic Camps, no notice was taken of the doctrines of Predestination and Ascetism. SUMMARY The intent of this discourse was to clarify what I meant by Manichean as it related to various sects and Predestination. I found that the term ARMINEAN was applied to proponents of FREE WILL to be an attempt to associate to associate the beliefs of strawman Arminius with the opponents of Calvinism. One point I could make is that MANICHEAN is easilly used for counterattacking purposes. The Manichean beliefs are evolutionary and synecretic. Their are still belief systems in America that combine Celibacy (or Prudery in watered down form) with Vegetarianism, Ascetism and Predestination. Manichean Cosmology is dead. Dualism exists as a conflict between God and Satan. It is my wish to remind proponents of their Historic Pedegree. I regard the Council of Orange of 529 A.D. as the official pronouncement of the Entire Church (predating the Photian schism) on Free Will and Predestination. This is in accordance with the powers of self-government granted by God and ennunciated in the Book of Acts. (i.e., appointment of Deacons). Sources: Theological Anthropology - J. Patout Burns Western Europe in the Middle Ages - Tierney & Painter --CEB