Ioan Petru Culianu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ioan Petru Culianu
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | January 5, 1950 |
| Died | May 21, 1991 (aged 41) |
| Cause of death | Shooting |
| Nationality | Romanian |
| Citizenship | Romania |
| Alma mater | University of Bucharest Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Paris-Sorbonne University |
|
Notable work
|
Eros and Magic (1984) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Groningen University of Chicago |
| Theses |
|
| Doctoral advisor | Ugo Bianchi Michel Meslin |
| Doctoral students | Alexander Argüelles |
| Influences | Mircea Eliade |
Ioan Petru Culianu (born January 5, 1950 – died May 21, 1991) was a very smart Romanian historian. He studied religions, cultures, and big ideas. He was also a philosopher, a writer, and wrote short stories. He taught at the University of Chicago and the University of Groningen.
He was an expert in Gnosticism (an ancient religious movement) and Renaissance magic (magic from the Renaissance period). A famous historian named Mircea Eliade encouraged him. Culianu wrote important books about how magic, love (called Eros), science (physics), and history are connected.
Sadly, Culianu was murdered in 1991. Many people believe his death was because he spoke out against Romanian politics. Some groups in Romania even celebrated his murder. The Romanian secret police, called the Securitate, was also suspected. Culianu had called them "stupid" before.
Contents
About Ioan Petru Culianu
Early Life and Education
Ioan Petru Culianu was born in Iași, Romania. His mother, Elena Bogdan, was a chemistry professor. His father, Sergiu-Andrei Culianu, was a lawyer and teacher. His family had many smart people, including his grandfather, Petru Bogdan, who was a chemistry professor and mayor.
Culianu studied at the University of Bucharest and finished in 1972. He then went to Italy and asked for political asylum (protection from his home country). He earned a doctorate in the history of religion in 1975 from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan.
His Academic Journey
After living in France for a short time, Culianu taught at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands from 1976 to 1985. In 1986, he moved to the United States. He became a professor at the University of Chicago after being a visiting professor there. He was going to get a permanent job in July 1991.
He earned another PhD in 1987 from the Paris-Sorbonne University. He was very talented, knowing six languages and having three doctorates. He focused on Renaissance magic and mysticism. He became a friend and later helped manage the writings of Mircea Eliade, another famous historian of religions. Culianu also wrote fiction and articles about politics.
His Mysterious Death
On May 21, 1991, Ioan Petru Culianu was murdered at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He was shot once in the back of the head. The person who killed him and why they did it are still unknown.
Many people thought he was killed by former agents of the Securitate, Romania's secret police. This was because he wrote articles that strongly criticized the Communist government in Romania. His murder happened about a year and a half after the Romanian Revolution in 1989.
Before his death, Culianu had written many articles and given interviews that criticized the new government in Romania. This made him a strong opponent of the government. Some reports suggest he received threats by phone before he was killed.
Some also thought that extreme nationalist groups might have been involved. Culianu had criticized these groups and even revealed some connections between his mentor, Mircea Eliade, and a group called the Iron Guard. This had made their friendship difficult in Eliade's last years.
Ioan Petru Culianu was buried in the Eternitatea Cemetery in Iași, his hometown.
His Works
Scholarly Books
- Mircea Eliade, 1978
- Psychanodia: A Survey of the Evidence Concerning the Ascension of the Soul and Its Relevance, 1983
- Eros et magie a la Renaissance. 1484 (Eros and Magic in the Renaissance), 1984
- Expériences de l'extase: Extase, ascension et récit visionnaire de l'hellénisme au Moyen Age (Experiences of Ecstasy), 1984
- Gnosticismo e pensiero moderno: Hans Jonas (Gnosticism and Modern Thought: Hans Jonas), 1985
- Les Gnoses dualistes d'Occident: Histoire et mythes (The Tree of Gnosis), 1990
- Out of this World: Otherworldly Journeys from Gilgamesh to Albert Einstein, 1991
Fiction Books
- La collezione di smeraldi. Racconti (The Emerald Collection. Stories), 1989
- Hesperus, 1992
- Pergamentul diafan. Povestiri (The Diaphanous Parchment. Stories), 1994
Books About Culianu
- A book about his life and death was written by Ted Anton, called Eros, Magic, and the Death of Professor Culianu.
- Umberto Eco wrote an article called Murder in Chicago in The New York Review of Books.
See also
In Spanish: Ioan Petru Culianu para niños
