The Zoroastrian Faith: Tradition and Modern Research (Paperback)

~ (Author) "A tiny ethno-religious community of Zoroastrians (also known as Mazdayasnians, or Mazda-worshippers) profess to follow today the faith once propagated by their prophet, Zoroaster, who..." (more)
Key Phrases: sacred shirt, sacred cord, cosmic dualism, Ahura Mazda, Amesha Spenta, Vohu Manah (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book makes a worthy contribution to the study of world religions by offering a primer on a little known religion whose thought has influenced every major faith." Herbert Basser, Department of Religious Studies, Queen's University. "The originality of the author's contribution lies in the combination of history, scripture, and ritual. The description of the ritual practices is particularly informative and useful ... His careful sifting of the historical evidence is useful because he is dealing with issues concerning which the historical record is obscure." Sheila McDonough, Department of Religious Studies, Concordia University.

Product Description

Zoroastrianism has played a significant role in the development of the world's major religions. A tiny world-wide community of Zoroastrians still exists: a small group lives in Iran; others, commonly known as Parsees, are found on the west coast of India; and Zoroastrians from both Iran and India have emigrated and established small communities in most major Western cities. Study of this faith, however, has been hampered by inherent uncertainties: while it is known that the prophet Zoroaster lived and taught in ancient Persia sometime prior to 550BCE, there is little concrete evidence about the precise origin and development of the religion derived from his teachings."The Zoroastrian Faith" is organized around five themes: an account of Zoroaster's life and work; discussion of the development and spread of Zoroastrianism from its beginnings to the present; description of the sacred writings and religious documents of the faith; an analysis of the basic Zoroastrian beliefs and their influence on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; and a description of the prescribed observances. In this historical and analytical study, S.A. Nigosian cuts through these problems to present a concise, systematic survey of Zoroastrianism. This book will intrigue scholars and general readers alike. A glossary and bibliography are provided as aids for further study.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press (December 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 077351144X
• ISBN-13: 978-0773511446
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #507,521 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Superb Overview, November 21, 2001

By	Blah (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

If you know nothing about Zoroastrianism and are looking for a basic understanding of this unique faith then start with this book. It is concise clear and covers all major points of the faith quickly and accurately. The five chapters cover Zoroaster, history, scripture, teachings and observances. The scripture section contains outtakes from not only the fragments that we have of the Avesta but also lesser known and extremely difficult to find religious texts such as the Denkard. If you want to know about Zoroastrianism this is the place to start.

36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, fascinating summary of Zoroastrianism, August 13, 2003

By	William Alexander "Bill Alexander" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent description of the Zoroastrian faith. It begins with Zoroaster himself, dating his lifetime most probably and providing a compelling history of the man who ultimately had a tremendous influence on Western culture far greater than he could ever imagine. I believe it safe to say that he had more influence than Jesus himself, given the fact that the Zoroastrian world-view was subsequently adopted by a large contingent of ancient Jews, including Jesus, and ultimately spread around the world by Christianity and Islam.

The history of the faith itself is then presented, along with key scriptures, teachings, and rituals. This book is excellent and truly fascinating reading. The Zoroastrian faith was far ahead of its time and represented an incredible philosophical advance in the ancient world that would have been completely foreign to most of the world's inhabitants but very familiar to you and I. The attractiveness of its beliefs could not be opposed even by the strictness of the Judaic world-view. In a remarkable way, Christianity and Islam represent the triumph of Zoroastrian ideas, and I found myself strangely saddened that this religion is near extinction. There is an inspiring grandeur to this faith as presented here.

The book is well written, absolutely fascinating, balanced, and a quick read. I recommend it highly.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Problem of Style but Worth the Price, December 9, 2004

By	John D. Dooley "PhiloX" (Southern California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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Over all a fast easy read about the life & general teachings of Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) & his religion's influence on today's monotheistic faiths. S.A. Nigosian goes to great length to get the exact information from many varied sources, which at times either reveals too much information in short paragraphs or causes certain vagueness. For example the dates of Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) are from 6000 BC from some Greek sources to appox. 650-600 BC. Other problem is that I never saw such a fast rendering of the history of ancient Iran in so few pages. At times a short paragraph per King or Kingdom. Maybe a chart or map would of help to clarify this information. In another area S.A. Nigosian uses the baptism rites of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church as an example of the Zoroastrian rite without ever revealing the Zoroastrian rite itself.

Could it be that most other religious history books cut too many corners & round off the information? Maybe to write the whole truth will always reveal the imperfections of history. Other than that the book was a pure delight going through the general practices, festivals, & calendar events of ancient & modern Zoroastrianism.

There are no photographs or visual information in this book that could help reveal certain clothing or life styles of the Zoroastrian faith. In fact I did meet a Parsi (a modern Zoroastrian from Bombay India) at a Jews for Jesus table at Cal State Fullerton California around the mid 1980's & saw his shirt that contain the chords to store his good & evil deeds, but I still would like to see a photograph of a fire temple & the rites performed.

In other words I had a few problems with the style of the book, mostly due to lack of visual information, but its well worth the price if your looking for a grand overview of Zoroastrianism.