Oddcast episode
June 14, 2025
Coming Back for More, Part XI: Håkon Fiane Teigen on Manichæan Reincarnation
In this episode we go back in time slightly to the third century, when Mani, the founder of the Religion of Light known as Manichæism, lived and had his visions. Håkon Fiane Teigen is our guide down the three eschatological paths of the Manichees, one of which leads to hyperkosmic ascent and escape from the enmattered existence into realms of pure light, one of which leads to hell-realms where even the divine light is rendered dark and corrupt, and the third of which leads to, well, reincarnation. But this is not reincarnation as we know it; it’s more a kind of recycling. It’s stranger (to me at least) and more interesting than I can really summarise here. Have a listen, seriously.
Interview Bio:
Håkon Fiane Teigen is a researcher in Manichæism at the University of Oslo.
Works Cited in this Episode:
Primary:
Augustine:
- Light escaping from animals, plants, etc.: De moribus ecclesiae Catholicae et de moribus Manichaeorum (De mor.) II, 15.37 (quoting the translation of Roland Teske (2006)).
- On the secret teaching of post-mortem punishments for killing animals: De mor. II, 17.60–61.
- On evil animals: De mor. II, 8.11 and 17.63.
- The relevant citation from Mani’s Treasury of Life occurs in occurs at De natura boni contra Manichaeos 44.
The Synaxeis Codex: The codex is still not edited, although things have started to happen. The most up-to-date overview over the editorial process is provided by Funk in a (posthumous) article, complimented by remarks of Paul Mirecki, published separately in the recent Medinet Madi anniversary volume:
- Funk, W.-P. Towards an Edition of the Coptic Manichaean Synaxeis Codex: Another Progress Report. In J.D. BeDuhn, P. Dilley, and I. Gardner eds., The Medinet Madi Library at 90, 7-14. Leiden: Brill, 2023.
- Mirecki, P. Comments on a Possible Second Text in the Coptic Manichaean Synaxeis Codex. In ibid., 15-23.
Mani’s encounter with the Brahmans is found in a passage provided by Funk in a 2009-article: Funk, W.-P. Mani’s Account of Other Religions. In J.D. BeDuhn ed., New Light on Manichaeism, 115-127. Leiden: Brill, 2009.
Secondary:
Jason BeDuhn. The Co-formation of the Manichaean and Zoroastrian Religions in Third-Century Iran. Entangled Religions, 11(2), 2020.
Iain Gardner. The Kephalaia of the Teacher: The Edited Coptic Manichaean Texts in Translation with Commentary. Number 37 in Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies. Brill, Leiden/New York, NY/Köln, 1995.
Iain Gardner. The Founder of Manichaeism: Rethinking the Life of Mani. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2020.
Werner Sundermann. Manichaeism Meets Buddhism: The Problem of Buddhist Influence on Manichaeism. In P. Kieffer-Pülz and J.-U. Hartmann, editors, Bauddhavidyāsudhākaraḥ, pages 647–56. Indica et Tibetica, Swisttal-Odendorf, 1997.
Recommended Reading:
SHWEP CB4M Part XI Recommended Reading
Themes
Archons, Astral Eschatology, Astral Influences, Astrology, Doubles, Dualism, Gnosticism, Interview, Lunar Nodes, Manichæism, Metempsychosis, Upanishads, Zoroastrianism
Kell Drinkwater
April 5, 2026
Fascinating. There’s so much emphasis on the mechanisms, the metabolism of the world as part of the movement of souls and light. It makes me want to use the words “anabolism” and “catabolism” to mean this dietary processing of light and darkness. And the idea that reincarnation as a plant, if you get eaten by an elect, would be a good thing!!
In a sense, it’s extremely pro-cosmic, affirming of our impotent meatly bodies, even though it ultimately says the cosmos is impure and will be burned up at the end. Absolutely wild stuff. Also anticipates some modern scientific Gaian views of the entire biosphere as a single great biochemical mechanism, in which the individual is temporary or illusory.
It makes me wonder what a Manichaean or wonder-worker would be capable of, and what the explanation would be. Compared to Christian saints, or whichever Platonist it was that ended a drought with a iunx. Purifying tainted wells would probably be the least of it.