Lecture Wednesday 17 February 2027
“The Pride of the Demiurge and the Column of Light”: Two Gnostic-Manichaean Themes in Ismaili Shi’ism, by Daniel de Smet
As part of the “Theologies in Dialogue” chair (2026-2027 programme) at the Catholic University of Lyon (UCLy), co-directed by Michel Younès and Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi, Daniel de Smet, research director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS, Laboratory for the Study of Monotheisms), delivers a lecture entitled “The Pride of the Demiurge and the Column of Light: Two Gnostic-Manichaean Themes in Ismaili Shi’ism”.
The lecture explores how two motifs inherited from the gnostic and Manichaean traditions, the figure of the proud demiurge and that of the column of light, were taken up and reinterpreted within Ismaili Shi’ite thought, shedding light on the circulations between ancient gnosis and Muslim esotericism.
Dans le cadre de la chaire « Théologies en dialogue » (programme 2026-2027) de l’Université catholique de Lyon (UCLy), codirigée par Michel Younès et Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi, Daniel de Smet, directeur de recherche au Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS, Laboratoire d’études sur les monothéismes), donne une conférence intitulée « L’orgueil du démiurge et la colonne de lumière : deux thèmes gnostico-manichéens dans le shi’isme ismaélien ».
La conférence explore la manière dont deux motifs hérités des traditions gnostiques et manichéennes, la figure du démiurge orgueilleux et celle de la colonne de lumière, ont été repris et réinterprétés au sein de la pensée shi’ite ismaélienne, éclairant les circulations entre gnose antique et ésotérisme musulman.
في إطار كرسي «اللاهوت في حوار» (برنامج 2026-2027) في الجامعة الكاثوليكية في ليون (UCLy)، الذي يشترك في إدارته Michel Younès وMohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi، يُلقي دانيال دو سميت، مدير الأبحاث في المركز الوطني للبحث العلمي (CNRS، مختبر دراسات التوحيدات)، محاضرةً بعنوان «كبرياء الديميورج وعمود النور: موضوعان غنوصيّان مانويّان في التشيّع الإسماعيلي».
تستكشف المحاضرة كيف أُعيد تلقّي موتيفَين موروثَين من التقاليد الغنوصية والمانوية، وهما صورة الديميورج المتكبّر وصورة عمود النور، وأُعيد تأويلهما في صميم الفكر الشيعي الإسماعيلي، بما يُضيء التنقّلات بين الغنوصية القديمة والباطنية الإسلامية.
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