continued

I think here, and for the understanding of this problem, we are thrown back upon a very early age of human evolution--the age of Magic. Before any settled science or philosophy or religion existed, there were still certain Things--and consequently also certain Words--which had a tremendous influence on the human mind, which in fact affected it deeply. Such a word, for instance, is 'Thunder'; to hear thunder, to imitate it, even to mention it, are sure ways of rousing superstitious attention and imagination. Such another word is 'Serpent,' another 'Tree,' and so forth. There is no one who is insensible to the reverberation of these and other such words and images; 1 and among them, standing prominently out, are the two 'Mother' and 'Virgin.' The word Mother touches the deepest springs of human feeling. As the earliest word

p. 157
learnt and clung to by the child, it twines itself with the heart-strings of the man even to his latest day. Nor must we forget that in a primitive state of society (the Matriarchate) that influence was probably even greater than now; for the father of the child being (often as not) unknown the attachment to the mother was all the more intense and undivided. The word Mother had a magic about it which has remained even until to-day. But if that word rooted itself deep in the heart of the Child, the other word 'virgin' had an obvious magic for the full grown and sexually mature Man--a magic which it, too, has never lost.

Manichaeism and many of the forgotten legends that Carpenter cites have disappeared from public consciousness. Most of us are no longer in the Age of Magic, and Christianity could disappear as completely as Manichaeism.

.

Dear david f,

.

You wrote :

« … Christianity could disappear as completely as Manichaeism »

True, but as some wise person is reported to have observed : “prediction is a difficult business, especially when it involves the future”.

As I understand it, Manichaeism’s main claim to fame seems to have been its dualistic theory which equated evil with matter and good with spirit, serving as a doctrinal basis for asceticism and mysticism – not to be confounded with Zoroastrianism that rejects asceticism, and whose dualism is simply good and evil, seeing the spiritual world as no different from the natural one (the word "paradise", or “pairi.daeza”, applying equally to both).

Zoroastrianism is, of course, one of the oldest religions in the world that continues to be practised, including in Australia. Whereas, as you say, Manichaeism has largely “disappeared from public consciousness”.

Nevertheless, judging from the various sources I have consulted, I think it is true to say that there has been a certain degree of cross-fertilisation among Manichaeism, Zoroastrianism and the Abrahamic religions which continue to play a major role in the shaping of culture for much of humanity today.

.

Dear Banjo Paterson,

I was not predicting the disappearance of Christianity, I merely suggested the possibility of its disappearance to the extent that Manichaeism has. Wishful thinking does not engender accurate predictions.