PowerPoint presentation to accompany Lecture 1b

1. World Religions
Zoroastrianism

2. Overview
• The ancient religion of Persia
• Founded by the prophet Zarathustra c. 3500 years ago
(Zoroaster (GK) in the West, Zarthsht in Persia and India)
• Zarathustra was one of the first monotheists in human
history—this in spite of the polytheistic traditions of India
and Iran
• Zoroastrian tradition dates Zoroaster at about 600 BC,
modern estimates at about 1500 to 1000 BC
• Legends say that demons tried to kill him as an infant

3. Overview
• Later served as a priest of his religious order
• At 30 received a revelation from the angel Vohu Mana,
who told him there was only one true god, Ahura Mazda,
and that Zoroaster was to be his prophet
• For 10 years there were no converts, then Zoroaster’s
prince converted and the faith spread rapidly
• After Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC, the faith
became an influential power in that part of the world. It
remained so until the rise of Islam in the 7th century AD

4. Overview
• Most responsible for the spread of the faith were the Magi
(who were often chaplains traveling with the Persian
army), and priests of the Zoroastrian tradition
• At the time of Jesus, Zoroastrianism vied with Judaism as
the most influential religious tradition
• Zoroastrians have endured much persecution in the 1300
years since the Muslim conquest
• In the 10th century a small group left Iran for India and
established a sect known as Parsis. They continue there
to this day

5. Belief System
• Gathas – a set of 5 poetic songs composed by Zoroaster
forming the basic Zoroastrian scripture
• Through the years other scriptures accumulated, but the
Gathas are still the core text of the faith
• The Gathas say that there is one transcendent god, Ahura
Mazda
• Though transcendent, Mazda is in constant relationship
with human beings and the world he created through his
attributes—which are the means by which the world
reaches god and god reaches the world

6. Belief System
• Amesha Spentas (Bounteous Immortals)—Ahura
Mazda’s attributes
• Each one embodies an attribute of god, as well as a
human virtue. They are also symbols of the various
sectors of creation over which god watches
The Attributes Ahura Mazda Virtues
•Vohu Manah Good Thought Animals
•Asha Vahista Justice & Truth Fire & Energy
•Kshathra Dominion Metals & Minerals
•Spenta Armaiti Devotion & Serenity Earth & Land
•Hauvatat Wholeness Water
•Ameretat Immortality Plants
•Spenta Mainyu Creative Energy Human Beings

7. Belief System
• The Gathas are sometimes just ideas or concepts. In later
tradition they were personified, becoming like archangels,
but never worshipped
The Dualism of Zoroastrianism
 In early traditions—those closest to the Gathas—the
dualism was an Ethical dualism
Spenta Mainyu—the “Holy Creative Spirit”—is
opposed by the “Hostile Spirit” Angra Mainyu
The conflict is in the human heart and mind; a
constant struggle between good and evil in human
beings

8. The Dualism of Zoroastrianism (cont.)
• In later traditions there developed a Cosmic dualism
– It takes into account the material world, dividing the
universe into two camps
– Each camp is ruled by either the good god or the evil
spirit
Some Zoroastrians believe in cosmic dualism,
others in ethical dualism. The teachings of the
Gathas, the original work of Zoroaster, tend
toward ethical dualism.

9. Belief System
• Worship involves prayers and symbolic ceremonies
around a sacred fire
– Fire was used as a god-symbol and the ideal sign of
god to demonstrate light, warmth, and energy
– Fire was not, is not, worshipped in and of itself
– Fire is used for its symbolic or iconic value as a means
to focus worship
 Human souls are judged
Zoroastrianism was one of the first
based on amount of good
religions to give the afterlife a moral
works v. bad works
dimension
 Good go to heaven, “best
 Do not believe in karma or existence”
reincarnation  Bad go to hell, “worst
existence”

10. Belief System
• Believe in the progress of sacred time, and the eventual
end of time
• Believe in the “frasho-kereti” or “making fresh” (renewal).
That is, the collective good acts of humanity will slowly
transform the imperfect material world into its heavenly
ideal
• The end result of the “frasho-kereti” is that, at the end of
time, everything and everyone will be purified, even the
souls in hell (thus, hell is not eternal)
Zoroastrians contend that their ideas of moral dualism, heaven and
hell, sacred time, and angelic beings have influenced Judaism and
Christianity, during centuries of contact in the Middle east. What do
you think?

11. Belief System
The Threefold Path
Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds
• The threefold path is the center of the faith
• One knows what is good through the divine help of Vohu
Manah (good mind) and a divinely inspired conscience
(Daena)
• By thinking good thoughts, one is moved to speak good
words, and that leads to good deeds
“Falsehood brings an age-long punishment, and truth
leads on to fuller, higher life” (Yasna 30:11).