medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
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Received: Tue, 04 Sep 2012 01:46:14 PM EDT
From: The Medieval Review <[log in to unmask]>
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Subject: TMR 12.09.03 Baker-Brian, Manichaeism (Watson)
Baker-Brian, Nicholas J. <i>Manichaeism: An Ancient Faith
Rediscovered</i>. London: T&T Clark, 2011. Pp. 157. $34.95. ISBN 978-
0-567-03167-9.
Reviewed by Anthony J. Watson
Johns Hopkins University
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What exactly is Manichaeism? This new introductory text by Nicholas
Baker-Brian seeks to entertain this question by synthesizing known
research with the most recent scholarly discussions and theories on
the subject; it is largely successful in doing so. Ideally for an
introductory text it is a short book, with the paperback edition
ranging to less than 160 pages, and yet its thematic approach covers a
great deal of ground in those pages. Those seeking new translations
or new research should look elsewhere, and potential critics of this
work need look no further than the introduction in which Baker-Brian
lays out his scope and directs readers to other works that address the
historical and Patristic aspects of Manichaean studies (viii-ix).
Baker-Brian does signpost recent contributions and translations, such
as the seminal work by Samuel Lieu, as well as the work of Iain
Gardner, Hans Joachim Klimkeit, Alexander BÜhlig, Michel Tardieu, and
Gunner Mikkelsen, which is very useful for the reader seeking further
detail or a more comprehensive analysis of the subject at hand. The
book instead applies a religious studies approach, and approaches the
context and historicity of Manichaeism in relation to other faiths.
As such, the amount of consideration that has gone into the thematic
approaches within the book is impressive.
The first chapter ("The Rediscovery of Manichaeism: Controversies and
Sources") addresses head on the frequent criticisms--both ancient and
modern--laid at the feet of Manichaeism, namely, that it is at odds
with the accepted beliefs of other religions such as Christianity and
that it frequently internalized the practices of other faiths in order
to gain local converts. Baker-Brian discusses Manichaeans as an
"Other" threateningly at odds with orthodox Roman, Byzantine, and
Persian beliefs, and explores the process by which a follower of Mani
came to be seen as the "theological and societal outcast╤an identity
based on a series of misleading, perverted, and often contradictory
labels" (3). Having considered Manichaeism as heresy, Baker-Brian
then addresses questions of Gnosticism and syncretism, using the work
of noted scholars such as Karen King to illustrate that Gnostic and
syncretistic labeling is but another form of "othering" (8). He then
goes further in exploring the pitfalls of this approach, grounding his
analysis in the foundational work of Henri-Charles Puech (9-14). It
is significant that Baker-Brian undertakes this examination, as he is
able to demonstrate how modern scholarship is susceptible to accepting
these ancient descriptions as essential Manichaeism.
Chapter Two ("Lives of Mani"), examines the way in which religious
biographies of Mani have been used to define and establish broader
Manichaean identity and those religions competing with it. As with
the Manichaean "other" of Chapter One, Baker-Brian grapples with the
problem that the most complete portrait of Mani's life was "for very
nearly sixteen centuries" the anti-Manichaean account found in the
<i>Acts of Archelaus</i> (39). Also considered is the <i>Cologne Mani
Codex</i>, which establishes Mani as the "immediate heir to the
apostolate of the historical Jesus," and which since 1970 has provided
scholars with primary source evidence that Manichaeism conveyed a
"dominant self identity of the religion in Late Antiquity as
<i>the</i> authentic Christian tradition" (54). Again, as this is
intended as an introductory text, it is fitting that such an analysis
should be here.
Chapter Three ("Theology and Text"), details the rise of a canon of
Mani's writings. It then examines the preservation of his message,
and it is here that Baker-Brian makes a fine point of the essential
role Mani played in insisting that his works be written down and
thereby preserved for posterity. Baker-Brian places this within the
context of the "communicative technology" (61-66) of letter writing
(epistles) utilized with success by the Apostle Paul. It is in this
chapter that Baker-Brian demonstrates some true alacrity, succinctly
contextualizing Manichaeism as a religion that "committed revelations
and teachings to writing," in comparison to other contemporaneous
religions, such as Christianity, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism (65).
Baker-Brian advances the argument that in Manichaeism one has the
first world religion in which the written word played a central role
from inception. He further advances this argument by citing Michel
Tardieu in exploring the way this work laid foundations for other
religions which followed in Persia, such as Islam (71). Baker-Brian
expands this to note the impact this had by paving the way for writing
and religions of the book in Persia. So interesting is this and the
further arguments in this chapter that one would have liked to see
them laid out more succinctly and at greater length. In his
introduction (ix), Baker-Brian acknowledges that his study would have
benefitted from John C. Reeves' recent work on Islamic perspectives on
Manichaeism, and one can hope that the author will return to this
question in later works. Baker-Brian finishes his chapter with an
examination of Mani's writings and the Manichaean canon.
The last chapter ("The Universe, its Rituals, and its Community"),
considers the Manichaean account of the Cosmos, the myth which was
employed in detailing it, and the relation of that myth to the
physical world. Through this approach the Manichaean conception of
the body is explored, as well the application of ascetic practice and
ritual. Here Brian-Baker outlines the scholarship of Jason BeDuhn,
whose work highlights these relationships. A brief section on the
communal, liturgical, and ritualistic roles played by the Manichaean
<i>ecclesia</i> rounds out the chapter.
While Baker-Brian's work leaves some aspects of Manichaeism remaining
to be "re-discovered," it approaches its subject with a careful
consideration of thematic elements that ably synthesizes existing
scholarship and suggests further areas of focus. Marketed as an
introductory work, this book does a sound job of providing the reader
with a solid conceptual understanding of essential concerns related to
the topic of Manichaeism, the state of current scholarship, and where
to go to explore outstanding questions in greater depth. There are a
few points in the book, particularly in Chapter Three, where the
reader gets the feeling that the author is holding back in his
argument and one can only hope Baker-Brian will address these areas
more extensively in further works. It is said, however, that good
things come in small packages, and indeed, there are several books
twice the length of this one which deliver less in terms of conceptual
application. The scholarship in this work is organized in such a way
that one can return to it for further insights repeatedly. In its
affordable paperback format, Brian-Baker's book is well suited to its
introductory task, particularly if used in conjunction with other
primary sources.
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