Berg J.A. van den. Biblical argument in Manichaean missionary practice: the case of Adimantus and Augustine

Brill, 2010. — 246 p. — (Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies - 70).Augustine of Hippo is one of the most influential persons in the history of the Christian Church and even in the development of Western civilisation.
If we want to understand him properly, we must examine the influences that shaped his theological and philosophical ideas. One of those influences is ‘Manichaeism’. From his nineteenth year onwards, and for nine years at least, Augustine was one of the adherents of the religion of Mani. Furthermore, he dedicated no less than onethirdof his literary output to the refutation of the teachings of his former co-religionists. This means that Manichaeism must be treated as a highly important and, to a certain extent, even a determining factor in Augustine’s life and work.