Zoroastrianism Essay examples - 2954 Words

Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world today. Its adherents number 250,000, but thousands of years ago it was the state religion of the mighty Persian Empire and one of the most powerful religions in the world. In this paper I will tell you about the history of Zoroastrianism and its founder, Zoroaster, also known as Zarathushtra. I will discuss their scripture, doctrines, and end by examining in detail the commonalities in both doctrine and legend which will illustrate the influence that Zoroastrianism has had on more modern monotheistic religions. Zarathushtra Zarathushtra was the founder of Zoroastrianism. There is some mystery around who he was and when lived, but he is generally†¦show more content†¦(BBC, 2005) Today in India there still exists a large number of these Parsis. Zoroastrian Scripture Zoroastrian scripture is called the Avesta and was passed down orally generation after generation by priests. As time passed, the language of the people changed in such a way that the meaning of the teachings of Zarathushtra became difficult to understand, perhaps not unlike old English has evolved into the modernized American version we used in the United States today. Because of this, the oral tradition of the Avesta became more of an explanation in more plain terms of the ancient script. (Skjaervo, 2005) There two different parts to the Avesta. The old Avesta contains the Gathas written by Zarathushtra which consists of 17 poems, or hymns, written for Ahura Mazda and are designed to encourage people to live their lives as directed by God. The religious view of the Gathas in the world is that we live in as a theater of conflict between two diametrically opposed moral spirits (mainyus), they stand for mental attitudes in the psychological domain, and also opposing moral vectors in all of creation. They are the Spirit of Goodness (Spenta Mainyu), and the Spirit of Evil. (CAIS, 2006). The other section of the Avesta includes: • The Yasna: Recited during the fire ritual. • The Videvdad: This discusses the duality of the earth. • TheShow MoreRelatedEssay Zoroastrianism1785 Words   |  8 PagesZoroastrianism is a religion founded by a priest named Zarathustra Spitma or Zoroaster far back in the 1200BCE, with principle belief of an almighty God or â€Å"the One† Ahura Mazda and the context of a cosmic battle between the good and evil forces. At the era prior to Zoroastrianism, the Persian (known as Iranian today) were believes in polytheistic religion. It is believes that in this era many social problematic had occurs due to this belief and practices. At the same time Zoroaster bornRead MoreZoroastrianism Essay707 Words   |  3 PagesZoroastrianism The Arab world is now dominated by one strong and fierce religion. But, during the dynasties of such nobles as the Achaemenids, a truly noble and proud religion appeared; Zoroastrianism. The word of this religion was brought to the world by the Persian prophet Zoroaster. The origins of the religion and the beliefs of Zoroastrianism were and still are the cornerstone of the religion. During time, the religion depleted in size because of Mohammed, who introduced and Read MoreZoroastrianism Essay1825 Words   |  8 PagesZoroastrianism is a religion founded by a priest named Zarathustra Spitma or Zoroaster far back in the 1200BCE, with the principle belief of an almighty God or â€Å"the One† Ahura Mazda and the context of a cosmic battle between the good and evil forces. During the era prior to Zoroastrianism, the Persian (known as Iranian today) were believes in polytheistic religion. It is believed that in this era many social problems had occurred due to these beliefs and practices. At the same time, ZoroasterRead MoreZoroastrianism : Ancient Mediterranean World1116 Words   |  5 PagesParker Anderson Garry Meredith Ancient Mediterranean World 2 March 2015 Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest living religions. It was the religion of the ancient Persian Empire. The origins of Zoroastrianism itself is a mystery. Currently, it is a small religion with only about 250,000 followers and it just keeps getting smaller. Even though the religion itself is losing followers, it made great contributions to other religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The man who foundedRead MoreThe Practices and History of Zoroastrianism Essay875 Words   |  4 PagesFor centuries, Zoroastrianism was the leading religion of Persia (now Iran) before the modern Islamic religions came to be. Zoroastrianism is thought to be founded in 6th century BC by Zarathustra. Zoroastrians follow the sacred text called the Avesta; it is their Book of the Law. Zarathustra was a Persian prophet, when at age 30 claimed to have had visions of God. Zarathustra called God Ahura Mazda. Zoroastrianism quickly became the official religion of Persia, but came to an abrupt endRead MoreZoroastrianism, Christianity, Judaism And Islam951 Words   |  4 PagesZoroastrianism is a religion founded in the late sixth century BC by a prophet name Zoroaster. The bases of the religion state that there is an existence of a supreme, above all ruler, Ahura Mazda. A believer of Zoroastrianism also believes that there is a constant, daily fight between a good force, Spenta Mainyu, and an evil force known as Angra Mainyu. Zoroastrianism has been the segue for some other religions that we know today. Those being Christianity, Judaism and Islam. All of these religionRead MoreThe Religion Of Zoroastrianism And Its Impact On The World986 Words   |  4 PagesMihir Patel Zoroastrianism one of the most ancient religions of the world found sometime before 650 B.C in Persia by the prophet known as Zoroaster. The religion of Zoroastrianism is based mainly on two aspect of life. The people who tell the truth are on the side of Asha, and are known as the people of righteousness. The others, who are known as the people of the lie, or druj, followed the dreary way of evil. Zoroastrianism is a polytheistic religion which shows people ways ofRead MoreThe Persian Empire By Cyrus The Great1710 Words   |  7 Pagesat different times the Persian Empire continued to be considered one of the Roman Empire’s biggest rivals. One distinctive trait of the Persian Empire, prior to and after Alexander, was the regions systematized state religion. The religion was Zoroastrianism, termed for its originator Zoroaster. Researchers often disagree on the exact dates when Zoroaster existed, it is certainly before 6th century BCE, when Cyrus the Great was in power. The rudimentary belief of the faith is that there is one ultimateRead MoreEssay on Zoroastrianisms Role in Christianitys Development767 Words   |  4 Pagesuntil a few centuries ago one was also expected to self-flagellate or pay for an indulgence3. Zoroastrianism is very different from these methods of absolving sin. To clear yourself of sins, all one must do is change the thought process which contributed to that sin in the first place. Thus the whole process is very personal, and completely private. Another major difference between Zoroastrianism and Christianity is the issue of hierarchy within those of faith. Christianity (at least beforeRead MoreThe Empire Of The Persian Empire1051 Words   |  5 Pagescommunity had a difficult era with the arrival of Alexander of Macedon. Alexander’s forces killed numerous magi and burned many temples. During the Sasanid dynasty Zoroastrianism had a revival. After the fall of Zoroastrianism in its homeland, there were three religions of salvation called Buddhism, Christianity, and Manichaeism. Zoroastrianism had much influence on other religions of salvation with the ideas of god, devil, heaven, and hell. This victory over Lydia was significant in aiding the development