The Mandaeans : baptizers of Iraq and Iran / Karen Baker ; foreword by Amal Bejjani.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Baker, Karen, author.

Contributor:

Bejjani, Amal, writer of foreword.

Series:

Hidden Peoples of the World

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gnosticism.

Religious minorities--Iran.

Religious minorities.

Religious minorities--Iraq.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (112 pages) : illustrations, maps, tables.

Place of Publication:

Eugene, Oregon : Wipf & Stock, 2017.

Summary:

The secrets of a complex belief system that have sustained the Mandaeans in their centuries-old native lands in Iraq and Iran have been collapsing before their eyes. This little-known Gnostic sect has been hidden from global awareness until now. With a passion for the obscure, Karen Baker has delved into this secret sect, exploring the effects of the turmoil they have faced in their homeland, and are now facing in Diaspora. The Iraqi and Iranian Mandaeans have fled their homes with nothing more than the clothing on their backs, being thrust into the status of refugees, watching their traditions and cultures crumble as they encounter new lands and new cultures. This book discusses the potential receptivity of Mandaeans to Christianity through several perspectives including an evaluation of their relationship to the Gnosticism of the first through third centuries CE as well as its syncretic adaptations to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It will be of interest to those interested in little-known cultures from a historical and religious perspective; those involved with refugees and immigrants; and those who desire to understand the foundational beliefs of Mandaeism.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (EBC, viewed February 12, 2018).

ISBN:

9781498246200

1498246206