"Some Reflections on the Religious Encounters in Manichaean Cosmological Texts"
Manichaean cosmology and cosmogony are considered to be one of the pillars of the religion founded by Mani in 3rd century Mesopotamia. Material on the cosmogony and the description of the universe, particularly in sources written in Iranian languages, shows a wide range of knowledge and beliefs related to different religions. In the studied fragments, the generally widespread Zoroastrian background is complemented by knowledge from diverse religious traditions located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Subcontinent.
In my presentation, after a brief summary of my doctoral project and its main goals, I give a general overview of the texts studied to date, mainly the fragments in Sogdian language and in Manichaean and Secular script. Then, I present some case of studies that show a close relationship between different religious communities. Finally, some preliminary considerations are given, which take into account the work still to be done.
