This course will focus on two of the greatest authors of their respective traditions: Augustine of Hippo (354-430), whose writings cover over the Latin West, and Ephrem the Syrian (d. 373) whose influence stretches across the Syriac Orient. Though they never met or knew of each other, they both wrote a great deal against a shared adversary: Manichaeism, a religion of which Augustine was himself a member before his conversion to Christianity. Although the concept of things being “Manichean” lives on today to describe stark dualities, the original set of beliefs against which Augustine and Ephram fought so vigorously have been quite forgotten.
In this course, through a close study of these two authors’ writings against Mani and his followers and predecessors, students will gain an understanding of the contours of Christian objections to Manichaeism across different traditions. They will also learn to appreciate Augustine and Ephrem’s influences on their respective theological traditions, as well as to practice reading theologians from different backgrounds. For all their differences, there are moments in their writings of uncanny similarity.