Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is one of the world's oldest continuously practiced religions. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil and an eschatology that predicts the ultimate triumph of good. The religion arises from the mystical utterancces of Zarathustra, later written down by Sassanian priests in the 3rd Iranian empire.
Related Terms
Notes
Zoroastrianism emerged out of the mystical experience and prophetic teachings of Zoroaster, who lived no later than about 1000 B.C. [1]
Zoroaster's original teachings are, technically, unknown and have to be reconstructed. As Boyce notes, "The Zoroastrian priests were long reluctant to use the alien art of writing to record their sacred texts, and no religious works exist whose written form can be attributed to earlier than the 3rd century A. C." [2] In addition, there is "no continuity of scriptural exegesis." [3]
Zoroastrianism exalts a benevolent deity of wisdom, Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord), as its supreme being.
Zoroastrianism instantiated the Zoroastrian Binary between good and evil. Prior to this, the pagan spiritualities in the region did believe in "demons," but these were mischievous and entities set on causing harm, and not examples of existential/binary evil. [4]
Cribbed from Wikimedia:
Major features of Zoroastrianism, such as messianism, judgment after death, heaven and hell, and free will may have influenced other religious and philosophical systems, including Second Temple Judaism, Gnosticism, Greek philosophy,[5] Christianity, Islam,[6] the Bahá'í Faith, and Buddhism.[7]
Zoroaster's Connection Poems and teachings were eventually co-opted by
Related Terms
Footnotes
- ↑ Boyce, Mary. A History of Zoroastrianism: Volume One The Early Period. New York: E. J. Brill, 1996. p.xii
- ↑ Boyce, Mary. A History of Zoroastrianism: Volume One The Early Period. New York: E. J. Brill, 1996. p.xii
- ↑ Boyce, Mary. A History of Zoroastrianism: Volume One The Early Period. New York: E. J. Brill, 1996. p.21
- ↑ Boyce, Mary. A History of Zoroastrianism: Volume One The Early Period. New York: E. J. Brill, 1996.
- ↑ "Greece iii. Persian Influence on Greek Thought". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved 2019-07-14.
- ↑ Hinnel, J (1997), The Penguin Dictionary of Religion, Penguin Books UK; Boyce, Mary (2001), Zoroastrians: their religious beliefs and practices, Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd
- ↑ Beckwith, Christopher I. (2015). Greek Buddha: Pyrrho's Encounter with Early Buddhism in Central Asia. Princeton University Press. pp. 132–133. ISBN 9781400866328.
