Ioan P. Culianu

Ioan Petru Culianu (5 January 1950–21 May 1991) was a Romanian-born professor of divinity at the University of Chicago and an expert in gnosticism and Mediaeval magic.

Born in Iaşi, he studied in Bucharest, then traveled to Italy, France and the Netherlands, before he finally became a professor at the University of Chicago. Having completed three doctorates and being proficient in six languages, Culianu specialized in Renaissance magic and mysticism (becoming a disciple of Mircea Eliade's ideas), but he also wrote fiction and political articles.

He was murdered in the bathroom of the Swift Hall of the University of Chicago. The identity of the killer is still not known and neither is the reason. There has been speculation that it was from the order of Nicolae Ceauşescu, due to his political articles, but the murder happened a year and a half after the fall of Communism in Romania and Ceceascu's death. There are also other theories which claim that the murder was committed by some occult organization, upset by his books on magic, but there is no clue to indicate any potential assassin.

A biography and an analysis of his death was published by Ted Anton and called "Eros, Magic, and the Death of Professor Culianu", alluding to Culianu's most influential work, "Eros and Magic in the Renaissance". See also Sorin Antohi (ed.), Religion, Fiction, and History. Essays in Memory of Ioan Petru Culianu.Volumes I-II, Bucuresti, Nemira, 2001; and Sorin Antohi (coordonator), Ioan Petru Culianu. Omul si opera, Iasi, Polirom, 2003.

Bibliography

• Mircea Eliade, Assisi, Cittadella Editrice, 1978
• Iter in Silvis: Saggi scelti sulla gnosi e altri studi, Gnosis, no. 2,Messina, EDAS,1981
• Religione e accrescimento del potere', in G. Romanato, M. Lombardo, I.P. Culianu, Religione e potere, Torino, Marietti, 1981
• Psychanodia: A Survey of the Evidence Concerning the Ascension of the Soul and Its Relevance, Leiden, Brill, 1983
• Eros et magie a la Renaissance. 1484, Paris, Flammarion, 1984
• Experiences de l'extase. Extase, ascension et recit visionnaire de l'hellenisme au Moyen-Age, Paris, Payot, 1984
• Gnosticismo e pensiero moderno: Hans Jonas, Roma, L'Erma di Bretschneider, 1985
• Empeiries tes ekstasis: Extasi, anabasi kai oraseis apo ton Hellenismo mechri ton Mesaiona, Athena, Hadjinikoli, 1986
• Experienze dell'estasi dall'Ellenismo al Medioevo, Bari, Laterza, 1986
• Recherches sur les dualismes d'Occident: Analyse de leurs principaux mythes, Lille-Theses, Lille, 1986
• Eros and Magic in the Renaissance, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1987
• Eros e magia nel Rinascimento: La congiunzione astrologica del 1484, Milano, Il Saggiatore – A. Mondadori, 1987
• I miti dei dualismi occidentali, Milano, Jaca Book, 1989

Eliade/Culianu,* Dictionnaire des Religions. Avec la collaboration de H.S. Wiesner. Paris, Plon, 1990, 1992(2)

• Les Gnoses dualistes d'Occident: Histoire et mythes, Paris, Plon, 1990
• Handbuch der Religionen, Zurich und Munchen, Artemis Winkler Verlag, 1991; Suhrkamp Taschenbuch, 1995
• Out of this World: Otherworldly Journeys from Gilgamesh to Albert Einstein, Boston, Shambhala, 1991

• The Eliade Guide to World Religions, San Francisco, HarperSanFrancisco, 1991. With M. Eliade and in association with H.S. Wiesner
• I viaggi dell'anima, Milano, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, 1991
• The Tree of Gnosis : Gnostic Mythology from Early Christianity to Modern Nihilism, San Francisco, HarperCollins, 1992
• Diccionario de las religiones Barcelona, Paidos Orientalia, 1993
• Dictionarul religiilor, Bucuresti, Humanitas, 1993, 1996(2)

(The Dictionary of Religionshas also been published in Japanese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Bulgarian and Czech translations)

• Mas alla de este mundo, Barcelona, Paidos Orientalia, 1993
• Calatorii in lumea de dincolo, Bucuresti, Nemira, 1994, 1999(2); Iasi, Polirom, 2003(3)
• Eros si magie in Renastere. 1484, Bucuresti, Nemira, 1994, 1999(2); Iasi, Polirom, 2003(3)
• Experiences del extasis, Barcelona, Paidos Orientalia, 1994
• Gnozele dualiste ale Occidentului. Istorie si mituri, Bucuresti, Nemira, 1995; Iasi, Polirom, 2002(2)
• Jenseits dieser Welt, Munchen, Eugen Diederichs Verlag, 1995
• Mircea Eliade, Bucuresti, Nemira, 1995, 1998(2); Iasi, Polirom, 2004(3)
• Religie si putere, Bucuresti, Nemira, 1996
• Psihanodia, Bucuresti, Nemira, 1997
• Experiente ale extazului, Bucuresti, Nemira, 1997; Iasi, Polirom, 2004(2)
• Arborele gnozei. Mitologia gnostica de la crestinismul timpuriu la nihilismul modern, Bucuresti, Nemira, 1999
• Pacatul impotriva spiritului. Scrieri politice, Bucuresti, Nemira, 1999
• Eros y magia en el Renacimiento. 1484, Madrid, Ediciones Siruela, 1999
• Studii romanesti I. Fantasmele nihilismului. Secretul Doctorului Eliade, Bucuresti, Nemira, 2000
• The HarperCollins Concise Guide to World Religions, San Francisco, HarperSanFrancisco, 2000
• Jocurile mintii. Istoria ideilor, teoria culturii, epistemologie, Iasi, Polirom, 2002
• Iocari serio. Stiinta si arta in gindirea Renasterii, Iasi, Polirom, 2003
• Cult, magie, erezii. Articole din enciclopedii ale religiilor, Iasi, Polirom, 2003
• Dialoguri intrerupte. Corespondenta Mircea Eliade – Ioan Petru Culianu

Fiction

• La collezione di smeraldi, racconti, Milano, Jaca Book, 1989
• Hesperus, roman, Bucuresti, Univers, 1992; Bucuresti, Nemira, 1998(2); Iasi, Polirom, 2003(3)
• Pergamentul diafan,povestiri, Bucuresti, Nemira, 1994
• Pergamentul diafan. Ultimele povestiri, Bucuresti, Nemira, 1996(2); Iasi, Polirom, 2002(3)
• Arta fugii, povestiri, Iasi, Polirom, 2002
• Jocul de smarald, roman, Iasi, Polirom, 2005