World Religions TH 608

1. Chapter Ten
Zoroastrianism

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Pre-Zoroastrian Persian Religion
• The origins of Zoroastrianism are
mysterious
• The major literary source for the faith are
the Gathas, or hymns
– The Gathas to Zoroastrians are like the Torah
to Jews
– The hymns are considered to be the very
word of Zoroaster the prophet

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Pre-Zoroastrian Persian Religion
• Aryans were early peoples living in the
land that would later become the Persian
Empire
– What other faiths do the Aryan people relate
to?
• The Gathas state that the Aryans
worshiped nature and a number of deities
– The gods were called daevas

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Pre-Zoroastrian Persian Religion
• The daevas were associate with sun,
moon, and stars
• Above the daevas were higher gods
– The most important god was Mithra, the god
of light, cattle, and the representative of
loyalty and obedience
– Zoroaster attempted to preach only one god,
but people continued to believe in Mithra

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Pre-Zoroastrian Persian Religion
• One Supreme Lord was recognized as the
one reality over an above the nature gods,
called Ahura Mazda (The Wise Lord)
– Local and nature gods were likely worshipped
on alters with sacrifices
• Pre-Zoroastrian Persians also believed
that whenever religious practices strayed
from the truth, Saoshyants would restore
the purity of the religion

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The Life of Zoroaster
• Source of information about Zoroaster’s
life include the Gathas and Greek and
Roman writings (including philosophers
such as Plato)
• It is unknown when Zoroaster was born
• His name, Zarathustra Spitama, means
that he was born into a warrior clan
connected to the royal family of Persia

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The Life of Zoroaster
• There were several attempts on his life as
an infant, but they were all thwarted by the
powers that watched over him
• Zoroaster became a priest in his religion
• He is the only founder of a world religion
to be trained as a priest
• Zoroaster was greeted by an angel, who
told him that there was only one true god

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The Life of Zoroaster
• The angel in Zoroaster’s vision told him
that he would be a prophet for Ahura
Mazda, the one true God
• Over the next ten years, Zoroaster
continued to have visions about God
• He preached the new message, but did
not have any converts for ten years

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The Life of Zoroaster
• Zoroaster was finally successful in
converting his cousin
• The turning point came when Zoroaster
was successful in converting a prince to
the faith
– Zoroastrianism spread rapidly in the following
years
• Zoroaster was killed while tending the
sacred flame

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The Teachings of Zoroaster
The Nature of God
•The central teaching of Zoroastrianism is
that there is one true God, and his name is
Ahura Mazda. He created the world.
•Monotheism was revolutionary for the time
•God is claimed to have six attributes to his
perfect nature

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The Teachings of Zoroaster
The God of Evil
•The world is full of both good and evil
•Zoroastrianism is dualistic – it sees two
supreme forces controlling the universe
(good and evil)
•Ahura Mazda includes
– Spenta Mainyu (the Beneficent Spirit)
– Angra Mainyu (the Evil Spirit)

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The Teachings of Zoroaster
The Nature of Humankind
•Human beings play a part in the struggle
between good and evil by cooperating with
either of those forces
– Human beings are born pure and sinless and
then choose either good or evil
– Their lives and destiny depend on free will
and individual choice

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The Teachings of Zoroaster
The Destiny of Humankind
•Because people have freedom of choice,
they are accountable for their choices
•Each good or bad deed will bear its own
fruit
– This “law of retribution” is a cornerstone belief
– What other religions share it?

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The Teachings of Zoroaster
The Destiny of Humankind
•Zoroaster also have an organized system
of eschatology (belief concerning the end of
the world)
– The soul stays with the body for three days
and meditates on the deeds that the person
has done
– Mithra judges the deeds by weighing them on
a scale  then hell or paradise awaits

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The Teachings of Zoroaster
Zoroastrian Ethics
•There is a lengthy Zoroastrian code of
ethics, since people have individual choice
about their actions
– Earth, wind, water, and fire are sacred
elements and must not be polluted
– People must also have Humata, Hukhta, and
Hvarshta – good thought, word, and deed

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The Teachings of Zoroaster
Zoroastrian Worship
•Where earlier religions relied mostly on
blood sacrifice, Zoroastrianism relies mostly
on prayers
– Practitioners also offer sandalwood to the
sacred flame
• The fires are tended by specially trained priests.
They must wear masks so that their breath does
not contaminate the sacred flames.

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Historical Development of
Zoroastrianism
• Zoroastrianism is mentioned in some early
Greek and Roman writings
• It is unclear how much influence it had on
Judaism, but the appearance of the figure
of Satan may be attributed to
Zoroastrianism
• The idea was also incorporated into
Christianity

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Zoroastrian Holy Days
• The Jasans
– Regular jasans, or feasts, occur monthly
• New Year’s Day
– This is a day of good fortune
• Seasonal Feasts
– Each of these feasts lasts five days and is
connected to an aspect of creation

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Zoroastrian Holy Days
• All Souls’ Day
– This holiday honors departed ancestors
– The dead are believed to return to their
homes, where they are welcomed
– A platform is erected in the home with
offerings for the dead
• What other religions celebrate All Souls’
Day?

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Zoroastrianism Today
• A small community exists in India
– Because the birthrate is behind the larger
Indian population, and because
Zoroastrianism does not allow conversion,
there is a fear that the faith may vanish
• The dispersion of much of the Iranian
population has led to intermarriage with
other faiths, which some followers regard
as the road to extinction