Chapter
Introduction: Scholarship on Zoroastrianism
A Disintegrated Academic Landscape
Attempts at Mapping Main Approaches
Some Main Figures in the History of Zoroastrian Studies
Contributions of Zoroastrian and Iranian Scholars
The Impact of the Study of Zoroastrianism on Modern Zoroastrianism
Emerging Trends in Recent Scholarship
Part I Zarathustra Revisited
Chapter 1 Zarathustra’s Time and Homeland: Geographical Perspectives
Zarathustra’s Time and Homeland: Approximations and Dead Ends
The Location of the Legendary Zarathustra
The Geographical Horizon of the Young Avesta
Chapter 2 Zarathustra’s Time and Homeland: Linguistic Perspectives
External Evidence for the Avesta
Linguistic and Literary Relationship between the Older and Younger Avesta
The Provenance of the Avesta
Chapter 3 Interpretations of Zarathustra and the Gāthās
Chapter 3b The Gāthās, Said to Be of Zarathustra
The Gāthās within the Avesta
The “Edition” of the Old Avesta
The Young Avestan Exegesis of the Old Avesta
Unity and Homogeneity of the Gāthās
The Doctrine of the Gāthās
The Sole Source of Zoroastrianism?
Chapter 3c Dimensions of the Gāthās as Poetry
Chapter 3d The Gāthās as Myth and Ritual
The Historical Zarathustra in Western Scholarship
The Gāthās as the Story of Zarathustra
Chapter 4 Zarathustra: Post-Gathic Trajectories
Zarathustra as Author and Source
Zarathustra as Hero, Recipient of Revelation, and Prophet
Narratives and Identifications
Part II Periods, Regions, and Contexts
Chapter 5 Religion and Politics in Pre-Islamic Iran
Zoroastrianism before the Iranian Empires
The Origin of Achaemenid Court Rituals
The Zoroastrian Story of Creation and the End of Time
Alexander and the Seleucids
The Parthian (Arsacid) Empire
The Rise of the Sasanians
Chapter 6 Zoroastrianism under Islamic Rule
Conquest and Settlement of the Arab Muslim Conquerors (7th CE)
The Age of Conversion and “Heterodox” Movements
The Zoroastrian Dark Ages (11th–16th Centuries CE)
Zoroastrians under a Shı̄’ı̄ Gunpowder Empire (16th–18th Centuries CE)
Chapter 7 Armenian and Georgian Zoroastrianism
Armenia and Georgia: Geography and History
The Religion of Pre-Christian Armenia
The Religion of Pre-Christian Georgia
The Parthian Commonwealth
Chapter 8 Zoroastrianism in Central Asia
The Clergy and Its Literary Productions
After the Muslim Conquest
Conclusion: Central Asian Zoroastrianism in Perspective
Chapter 9 Zoroastrianism in the Far East
The History of Zoroastrian Studies in the Far East
The Advance of Zoroastrianism into the Far East (the 4th–9th Centuries)
The Formation of “Sinicized” Zoroastrianism (the 10th–20th Centuries)
The Parsis in the Far East (the 18th–21st Centuries)
Conclusion: Studies on Zoroastrianism in the Far East
Appendix: Chronological Table of Zoroastrianism in the Far East
Parsis in Independent India
Chapter 11 Zoroastrians in Modern Iran
The Amelioration Society, the Struggle against Discrimination and New Agencies
Nationalism: Ideological Reappraisal and Civic Zoroastrianism
Religious Boundaries and Modernization
Some Conclusions and Prospects
Chapter 12 The Zoroastrian Diaspora
Zoroastrians in East Africa
Zoroastrians in North America
Zoroastrians in Australia
Appendix: Chronological table
Part III Structures, Discourses, and Dimensions
Chapter 13 Theologies and Hermeneutics
“Religion” and the “Sacred Word”
Good and Evil, Truth and Falsehood
The Nature, Will, and Desire of God
The Nature of the Evil Spirit and the Demons
The Divine Plan, Predestination, and Time
Human Behavior, Religious Wisdom, and Life Practices
“The Problem of Evil” and Defenses of Dualism
Textual Taxonomies: The Ahunwar, the Twenty-One Nasks, and the Dēn
Sacred Wisdom, Priestly Authority, and the Teaching of Religious Knowledge
Religion and Polemics: Disciplining Selves and Critiquing Others
Chapter 14 Cosmologies and Astrology
The Cosmic Fight and the Double Dimension of Existence and of Creation
Unlimited and Limited Time
The Organization of the World and the Place of the Iranians in the Mazdean Cosmography
Early Iranian Astral Cosmology and Mythology
The Avestan Heaven and the Astral Bodies
The Myth of Tištriia and the Astral Battle against the Falling Stars
Later Mazdean Cosmology and Astrology
The Planets, Their Names, and Their Demonization
Chapter 15 Myths, Legends, Eschatologies
A Gendered Concept of the Divine?
“Priesthood of Believers”
Purity, Pollution, and Sexuality
Religio-Social Experience
Chapter 17 Law in Pre-Modern Zoroastrianism
Reconstructing Zoroastrian Law
Law of Persons and Animals
Family Law, Marriage, and Succession
Law of Property and Obligations
Zoroastrian Law after the Muslim Conquest
Chapter 18 Law and Modern Zoroastrians
Reinventing Zoroastrian Law
Statutes, Constitutions, and Related Papers
Part IV Practices and Sites
The Ritual or “Narrow” Morality
Morality in a General Sense
Prayers in Languages Other than Avestan
Prayer in Modern Zoroastrianism
Chapter 21 Purity and Pollution / The Body
The Source of Impurity and the Effects of Pollution
The Ritualization of Daily Life
Initiation into the Priesthood
Funerals and Post-Funerary Services
Chapter 23 Festivals and the Calendar
The Earliest Zoroastrian Festivals
Zoroastrian Festivals in Sasanian and Early Islamic Iran
Festivals in the Modern Period
Chapter 24 Religious Sites and Physical Structures
Institutions of Late Antiquity
Medieval and Pre-Modern Places of Piety
Modern Communities and Their Religious Sites
Chapter 25 Early India and Iran
The Indo-European and Indo-Iranian Heritage of Avestan
Linguistic Similarities between Avestan and Old Indic
The Old Indic and Avestan Literature
Time and Place of the Indo-Iranians
The Old Indic and Avestan Poets and Their Poetry
Dragon-Killers and Other Myths
Apām Napāt/Apąm Napāt̰
Early Encounters: The Achaemenid Conquest of the Near East
Intersections with Zoroastrianism in Second Temple Times
Intersections during Late Antiquity: The Talmud and Zoroastrianism
After the Conquest: Medieval Intersections between Jews and Zoroastrians
Chapter 27 The Classical World
Early Greek Cosmologists: 540–450 BCE
Greek Historians of the East: 450–370 BCE
Plato and the Academy: 370–300 BCE
The Hellenistic Period: 300–30 BCE
The Roman and Early Byzantine Periods: 30 bce–600 CE
Chapter 28 From Miθra to Roman Mithras
The Wise Men from the East
Zoroastrian Elements in Early Christianity
Zoroaster and Iranian Religion in the Church Fathers and Gnostic Literature
Christians in Arsacid and Sasanian Iran
Persecutions of Christians in Sasanian Iran
Zoroastrian Polemics against Christianity
Chapter 30 Manichaeism in Iran
Manichaeans in Sasanian Iran
Zoroastrian Topics and Elements in Manichaeism
The Manichaean “Worldview” in Zoroastrianism and in Later Iranian Traditions
Pahlavi Texts against Manichaeans and Anti-Zoroastrica Written by Manichaeans
The Attitudes toward Zoroastrianism in Early Islam
Descriptions of Zoroastrianism in Muslim Literature
Iranian Influence in Early Arabic Literature
The Iranian Festivals: Nowrūz and Mehragān
Zoroastrian Polemics against Islam
Secular Themes in Islam Derived from Iran
Middle Persian Books Translated into Arabic
Chapter 32 The Yezidi and Yarsan Traditions
Chapter 33 The Bahā’ı̄ Faith
Early Interactions with Zoroastrian Leaders
The Zoroastrian Conversions
Factors in the Conversion of Zoroastrians
Separation, Integration, and Intermarriage
The Zoroastrian Converts in Later Years
Chapter 34 Primary Sources: Avestan and Pahlavi
Chapter 35 Primary Sources: New Persian
The Zoroastrian Dialects of Yazd and Kermān
Texts Written in Middle Persian Language in Persian Script (Pārsı̄)
Narratives of the Lives of Religious Figures
Scientific and Astrological Texts
Zoroastrian–Muslim Apologetic Texts
Stories of Migration to India
Didactic and Ethical Works
The 18th and 19th Centuries
Persian Printing in the 19th Century
20th-Century Zoroastrian Persian Texts
Chapter 36 Primary Sources: Gujarati
Old Parsi Gujarati Translation Texts
The Archive of the Navsari Bhagarsath Anjuman
The Classical Compositions of Ervad Rustam Peśotan Hamjiār
The 18th- and Early 19th-Century Compositions
The Calendar Controversy and the Beginning of Print Literacy
The Missionary Controversy
Zoroastrian Reform and Iranian Philology
Theosophy and Ilm-e Kṣnum (Khshnoom)
Sources on Zoroastrian Ritual
Parsi History and Genealogy
Translations of Avestan and Pahlavi Texts
Novels, Poetry, Songs, and Drama
Index of People, Places, and Topics
The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Zoroastrianism
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