ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a number of historical and sociological issues arising from the configuration of institutional relations between members in Mani's community, as presented in a range of sources from the late third and fourth centuries ad: a community which comprised a primary division of two classes, an 'elite' referred to as the Elect, and a 'mass', the catechumenate or Hearers. The 'community' is employed to refer to Manichaeism as an ecclesial institution of the late antique period, 'capable of promoting its aims and enforcing its rules'. The chapter examines a number of Manichaean literary sources which tackle various issues pertaining to Hearer-Elect relations. It stands arguably as an apology for the role of the catechumenate. The importance of the Hearers' role is announced in unequivocal terms: the catechumenate are 'the place of rest for the holy church'. The relationship between Hearers and the Elect was a matter of ongoing debate in late antique Manichaean literature.
