Zoroastrians:
Their Religious Beliefs and Practices This book, now re-issued with a new introduction
by Mary Boyce, is the first attempt to trace the continuous history of the faith
from the time it was preached by Zoroaster down to the present day-a span of about
3,500 years. First taught among nomads on the Asian steppes, Zoroastrianism became
the state religion of the three great Iranian empires. With the conquest of Iran
by the Muslim Arabs, Zoroastrianism lost its secular power but continues to survive
as a minority faith.
The
Zoroastrian Faith: Tradition and Modern Research 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.
The
Gathas of Zarathushtra: Hymns in Praise of Wisdom This book is very good for
what it is intended to be, an introduction for younger Zoroastrians who speak English
and live outside of Iran and India to their faith. Frankly, there is virtually NOTHING
on this ancient faith in English...period. (Do a search on Amazon.com and you will
see there is almost nothing, including no good afforadable comprehensive hardback
translation of the Zend Avesta in English...only a paperback reprint of Max Mueller's
dated work.) For someone curious about this wonderful faith, this little book really
is the best introduction you can currently find. The book is also very respectfully
in tone. You don't have to agree with everything the author says. Frankly, since
Zoroastrian studies are practically NIHL, people of this faith should be thankful
someone tried to present what it is all about with the goal of teaching young believers
and curious outsiders. (Note:I'm not a Zoroastrian, I'm a Buddhist, but I grew up
having some good friends who are Zoroastrians, and I have therefore always been
interested in the history of Persia.) Part of the problem stems from the fact that
Zoroastrianism has never actively sought converts...therefore it lacks the ability
to present itself as a viable world religion (which is a shame because it's a beautiful
faith that has been mercilessly persecuted in Iran.) This book was the first, and
right now the only attempt to try and present a basic introduction to Zoroastrianism.
It is aimed mainly at Zoroastrians who live OUTSIDE of Iran and India. (Yes, there
are quite a few, in fact where I live in California, there are a lot of Zoroastrians.)
For someone interested in a basic, respectful introduction to this beautiful ancient
faith, I can think of no better book than this one. As for the negative scholarly
arguements presented by other reviewers, consider this...unless you can read ancient
Persian script...you are sunk. There are virtually no good studies of the Gathas
or the Zend Avesta currently in print in English. Zoroastrians kids in the USA have
virtually nothing to study unless they go on line. The only reason I didn't give
this little book a five is that it is a small book, and left some subjects uncovered
(I would have liked to see some information of Anahita and Mithra and maybe some
of the daily prayers in it.) My wife's mother was also a Buddhist, but she was studying
Zoroastrianism before she passed away. She would have loved this little book. -
Kaoru Hiratsuka
In
Search of Zarathustra: Across Iran and Central Asia to Find the World's First Prophet
This is a lovely little book tracing the influence and mythology of Zarathustra
(Zoroaster) through time. Paul Kriwaczek quickly covers Nietzsche, the Cathars,
the Manichees, the Roman cult of Mithras, and Zoroastrianism. More accurate and
careful books have been written on each of those subjects, but none more enjoyable;
and I'm sure this is the only time they have all been dealt with in a single book.
Kriwaczek is an honest layman, enjoying himself as he travels across Central Asia,
the Middle East and England, reading the works of scholars (and a novelist) and
drawing his own conclusions, exploring the legacy of Zarathustra. He explores some
of the most fascinating issues in the history of religion, and he entertains the
reader with his description of modern rituals. This is not scholarly, academic history,
and Kriwaczek admits it. But it's also not the kind of ridiculous stuff you find
on the History Channel. Kriwaczek's several speculations are within the bounds of
plausibility, and he most of the time he admits when he's speculating. I highly
recommend this book because it is so entertaining and fairly accurate. If you wonder
why people study ancient religions that no one believes in today, read this and
you will know why. However, if you want to read a book about Zoroastrians, I highly
recommend Mary Boyce's "Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices."
