Ioan P Culianu

Ioan Petru Culianu or Couliano (5 January 1950 – 21 May 1991) was a Romanian historian of religion, culture, and ideas, a philosopher and political essayist, and a short story writer. He served as professor of the history of religions at the University of Chicago from 1988 to his death, and had previously taught the history of Romanian culture at the University of Groningen. An expert in Gnosticism and Renaissance magic, he befriended, was encouraged by Mircea Eliade, though he gradually distanc…