ALL meanings of manichaeism
- noun manichaeism the system of religious doctrines, including elements of Gnosticism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Buddhism, etc, taught by the Persian prophet Mani about the 3rd century ad. It was based on a supposed primordial conflict between light and darkness, or goodness and evil 0
- noun manichaeism any similar heretical philosophy involving a radical dualism 0
- noun manichaeism a dualistic religion that combined Zoroastrian, Christian, Gnostic, and other beliefs in a theology of cosmic struggle between Good (light, God, spirit) and Evil (darkness, Satan, matter): it was founded by Mani (L. name Manichaeus) in Persia in the 3d cent. a.d. 0