Description

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With such ancient beginnings, Zoroastrianism is as remarkably enduring as it is venerable. The principle religion of Iran until the Advent of Islam, it has also been influential beyond its own followers, interacting with other, younger faiths and shaping their views on the nature of evil, the coming of a saviour and the last days. The resonant message of Zarathustra (or Zoroaster), the founder of the religion, is encapsulated in its most sacred scripture, the Gathas, whose poetic power can still be appreciated today. This richly illustrated book explores many important themes of Zoroastrianism: its rise during the second millennium BCE, its doctrines, rituals and teachings, its growth into the foremost faith of the Achaemenid and Parthian empires, its consolidation under the Sasanians, its expansion east to China, and its impact on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. From Iran to the west coast of India, the story continues with the maritime exodus of the Zoroastrians and their settlement as an immigrant community (now called 'Parsis') under British colonial rule.
With chapters by world-leading authorities, this is a vital record of the art, literature and culture of one of the world's most fascinating religious traditions.

About the Author

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Sarah Stewart is a lecturer in Zoroastrianism in the Department of the Study of Religions at SOAS. She is coconvenor with Edmund Herzig, successor to Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis, of the Idea of Iran series published by I.B.Tauris and has co-edited five volumes in the series. Her publications include studies on Parsi and Iranian Zoroastrianism in the modern period, and on Zoroastrian oral texts and testimony. She is currently working on a book (in collaboration with Mandana Moavenat about contemporary Zoroastrianism in Iran. She was Deputy Director of the London Middle East Institute at SOAS from 1993-2012 and is Secretary of the British Institute of Persian Studies in London and a member of the Academic Council of the Iran Heritage Foundation, also in London.