Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series I/Volume IV/Manichaean Controversy/Introductory Essay/Literature/Sources

I.&#160; Sources.

The following bibliography of Manich&#230;ism is taken from History of the Christian Church, vol. II. pp. 498&#8211;500 (new edition).&#160; Additions are indicated by brackets.

1. Oriental Sources:&#160; The most important, though of comparatively late date.

(a)&#160; Mohammedan (Arabic):&#160;  Kit&#226;b al Fihrist.&#160; A history of Arabic literature to 987, by an Arab of Bagdad, usually called ; brought to light by Fl&#252;gel, and published after his death by R&#246;diger and M&#252;ller, in 2 vols. Leipz. 1871-&#8217;72.&#160; Book IX. section first, treats of Manich&#230;ism.&#160; Fl&#252;gel&#8217;s translation, see below.&#160; Kessler calls the Fihrist a "F&#252;ndst&#228;tte allerersten Ranges."&#160; Next to it comes the relation of the Mohammedan philosopher, (d. 1153), in his History of Religious Parties and Philosophical Sects, Ed. Cureton, Lond. 1842, 2 vols. (I. 188&#8211;192); German translation by Haarbr&#252;cker, Halle, 1851.&#160; On other Mohammedan sources, see Kessler in Herzog, IX., 225 sq.

(b)&#160; Persian Sources:&#160; relating to the life of Mani, the Sh&#226;hn&#226;meh (the King&#8217;s Book) of ; ed. by Jul. Mohl, Paris, 1866 (V. 472&#8211;475).&#160; See Kessler, ibid. 225.

[  Chronology of Ancient Nations, tr. by E. Sachau, and published by the Oriental Translation Fund, Lond. 1879.&#160; Alb&#238;run&#238; lived 973&#8211;1048, and is said to have possessed vast literary resources no longer available to us.&#160; His work seems to be based on early Manich&#230;an sources, and strikingly confirms the narrative preserved by the Fihrist.&#160; See also articles by and  in Journal of the Asiatic Society, 1868, 1870, 1871.]

(c)&#160; Christian Sources:&#160; In Arabic, the Alexandrian Patriarch (d. 916). Annales, ed. Pococke, Oxon. 1628; (d. 1286), in his Historia Dynastiarum, ed. Pococke.&#160; In Syriac:&#160; (d. 393), in various writings.&#160;  or, an Armenian bishop of the 5th Century, who wrote against Marcion and Mani (German translation from the Armenian by C. Fr. Neumann, in Illgen&#8217;s Zeitschrift f&#252;r die Hist. Theologie, 1834, pp.77&#8211;78).

2.&#160; Greek Sources:&#160; [:&#160; The Tenets of the Manich&#230;ans (first published by Combefis, with a Latin version, in the Auctararium Novissimum, Bibl. S. S. Patrum; again by Gallandi, in his Bibl. Patrum, vol. IV. p. 73 sq.&#160; An English translation by Rev. James B.H. Hawkins, M .A ., appeared in Clark&#8217;s Ante-Nicene Library, Vol. XIV. p. 236 sq.; Am. ed. vol. VI. p. 237 sq.&#160; Alexander represents himself as a convert from Paganism to Manich&#230;ism, and from Manich&#230;ism to Orthodoxy.&#160; He claims to have learned Manich&#230;ism from those who were intimately associated with Mani himself, and is, therefore, one of the earliest witnesses. ]&#160; (H. E. VII. 31, a brief account).&#160; (Haer. 66).&#160;  (Catech. VI. 20 sq.).&#160; (&#960;&#961;&#8056;&#963; &#924;&#945;&#957;&#953;&#967;&#945;&#8055;&#959;&#965;&#963;, ed P. de Lagarde, 1859).&#160; : Adv. Manich&#230;os (Cod. 179, Biblioth.).&#160; :&#160; De Haeres. and Dial.&#160; [, Hist. Manich&#230;orum.]

3.&#160; Latin Sources:&#160; (Bishop of Cascar in Mesopotamia, d. about 278):&#160; Acta Disputationis cum Manete H&#230;resiarcha; first written in Syriac, and so far belonging to the Oriental Christian Sources (Comp. Jerome, de Vir. Ill. 72), but extant only in a Latin translation, which seems to have been made from the Greek, edited by  (Rome, 1698), and  (in Reliqui&#230; Sacr&#230;, vol. V. 3&#8211;206); Eng. transl. in Clark&#8217;s Ante-Nicene Library (vol. XX. 272&#8211;419).&#160; [Am. ed. vol. VI. p. 173 sq.].&#160; These Acts purport to contain the report of a disputation between Archelaus and Mani before a large assembly, which was in full sympathy with the orthodox bishop, but (as Beausobre first proved), they are in form a fiction from the first quarter of the fourth century (about 320), by a Syrian ecclesiastic (probably of Edessa), yet based upon Manich&#230;an documents, and containing much information about Manich&#230;an doctrines.&#160; They consist of various pieces, and were the chief source of information to the West.&#160; Mani is represented (ch. 12), as appearing in a many-colored cloak and trousers, with a sturdy staff of ebony, a Babylonian book under his left arm, and with a mien of an old Persian master.&#160; In his defense he quotes freely from the N.T.&#160; At the end, he makes his escape to Persia (ch. 55).&#160; Comp. :&#160; Die Acta Archelai et Manetis untersucht, in Kahnis&#8217; ''Zeitschrift f&#252;r d. Hist. Theol''. 1873, No. IV.&#160; :&#160; ''Acta Disput. Arch.'', etc. Lips. 1874 (inaugural dissert.).&#160; :&#160; Die Acta Archelai und das Diatessaron Tatians, in ''Texte und Untersuchungen zur Gesch. der altchristl. Lit.'' vol. I. Heft 3 (1883), p. 137&#8211;153.&#160; Harnack tries to prove that the Gospel variations of Archelaus are taken from Tatian&#8217;s Diatessaron.

(d. 430, the chief Latin authority next to the translation of Archelaus).&#160; [Besides the treatises published in Clark&#8217;s series, ''Contra Fortunatum quendam Manich&#230;orum Presbyterum Disput. I. et II., Contra Adimantum Manich&#230;i discipulum, Contra Secundinum Manich&#230;um, De Natura Boni, De duabus Animabus, De Utilitate Credendi, De Haeres''. XLVI.&#160; Of these, De duabus Animabus, Contra Fortunatum, and De Natura Boni are added in the present edition, and De Utilitate Credendi has been included among Augustin&#8217;s shorter theological treatises in vol. III. of the present series.&#160; In the Confessions and the  Letters, moreover, the Manich&#230;ans figure prominently.&#160; The treatises included in the present series may be said to fairly represent Augustin&#8217;s manner of dealing with Manich&#230;ism.&#160; The Anti-Manich&#230;an writings are found chiefly in vol. VIII. of the Benedictine edition, and in volumes I. and XI. of the Migne reprint.&#160; Augustin&#8217;s personal connection with the sect extending over a period of nine years, and his consummate ability in dealing with this form of error, together with the fact that he quotes largely from Manich&#230;an literature, render his works the highest authority for Manich&#230;ism as it existed in the West at the close of the fifth century.]&#160; Comp. also the Acts of Councils against the Manich&#230;ans from the fourth century onwards, in Mansi and Hefele [and Hardouin].