ALFARIC, Prosper. Livinhac-le-Haut (Aveyron) 21.5.1876 — Paris 28.3.1955. French Historian of Religions. Professor in Strasbourg. Born as the oldest of seven children of a modest, deeply religious catholic viticulturist family, soon ruined by Phylloxera. With the help of local vicar he went to school and then to seminary St.Sulpice in Paris. Ordained priest 1899. Until 1910 taught at seminaries, then left church service and concentrated on studies of philology and theology in Paris. Ph.D. 1918 Sorbonne (diss. on Augustinus). From 1919 taught history of religion at Strasbourg, from 1924-45 as ord. Professor. His critical studies of early Christianity brough an excommunication in 1933. Retired in 1945. Légion d’honneur 1934, officer 1951. Married 1915 Jeanne Prévost, three daughters.
Publications: “La vie chrétienne du Bouddha”, JA 11:10, 1917, 269-288.
– Les Écritures manichéennes. 1-2. P. 1918.
– “Zoroastre avant l’Avesta”, RHR 7, 1921, 1-32, 145-180.
– Much on early Christianiy and Gnosticism, also on Renan.
Sources: H.C. Puech, Encyclop. Iranica 1:8, 1985, 835f. (online 2011/14); French Wikipédia.
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