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Spirituality in the land of the noble : how Iran shaped the World's religions / Richard C. Foltz.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Foltz, Richard C., 1961-
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Spirituality.
- Iran--Religion.
- Iran.
- Religion.
- Spirituality--Iran.
- Physical Description:
- xix, 204 pages : map ; 24 cm
- Place of Publication:
- Oxford : Oneworld, [2004]
- Summary:
- An evocative journey into a diverse culture, this is the engaging yet long-neglected story of Iran's influence on the beliefs, practices, and scriptures of the world's religious traditions. Following the paths of the Jews who migrated to Iran in 7 BCE, and the Iranian merchants who carried Buddhism along the Silk Road to China, this informed and informative account explores the impact of Persian culture on Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and the Baha'i Faith. Author Richard C. Foltz probes beneath the surface of world history, uncovering a wealth of Iranian ideas and influences, from the sacred formulas of the ancient Aryan inhabitants to the spectacular architecture of Iran's holiest cities. Spanning the full spectrum of Persian history from the earliest settlers right up to the present age, he offers an invaluable insight into not only Iranian identity, but also the way in which religious traditions grow and change. Accompanied by a guide to further reading and a full glossary and chronology, this is a long-overdue tribute to Iran's rich spiritual heritage.
- Contents:
- 1 The Origins of Iranian Religion 1
- Iran and Iranianness 3
- Indo-Europeans and the search for origins 4
- Features of old Iranian religion 11
- 2 Zoroastrianism 17
- In search of Zoroaster 21
- Zoroaster's reform 22
- Zoroastrian practice 27
- Religion under the Achaemenids 30
- Mithraism in the Roman world 32
- The Sasanian state religion 33
- The Islamization of Iran and Zoroastrian response 36
- Zoroastrianism in India 38
- Zoroastrians in modern Iran 39
- Zoroastrianism's contributions to other religions 40
- 3 Judaism 43
- The beginnings of diaspora 45
- The influence of Iranian ideas 48
- The influence of Hellenism 50
- The rabbinic period 51
- The coming of Islam 54
- Radical Jewish resistance movements 55
- Iranian Jews in the Mongol period 56
- The Safavid period 58
- 4 Buddhism 61
- Buddhism in eastern Iran 65
- Iranian influences in Buddhism 70
- The disappearance of Iranian Buddhism 73
- 5 Christianity 77
- The establishment of an Iranian church 80
- Iranian Christian polemics against other religions 85
- Iranian Christians under Muslim rule 89
- Armenian Christians in Iran 92
- European Christian missions 94
- 6 Gnostic Traditions 97
- Mandaeism 100
- Manichaeism 101
- Later esoteric movements 110
- 7 Islam 115
- From "the religion of the Arabs" to universal faith system 120
- The Iranian role in shaping Islamic civilization 123
- Isma'ili Shi'ism in Iran 127
- Sufism in Iran 129
- Twelver Shi'ism in Iran 132
- Popular Shi'ite religiosity 135
- The Persian garden as metaphor for paradise 137
- 8 The Babi Movement and the Baha'i Faith 141
- The Babi movement 145
- Babi beliefs 148
- The emergence of the Baha'i faith 150
- Baha'u'llah's teachings 151
- The Baha'i community in Iran and beyond 153
- 9 Religions in Iran Today 157
- Religious thought in an Islamic state 163
- Religious minorities under the Islamic Republic 165.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages [185]-195) and index.
- ISBN:
- 1851683364
- OCLC:
- 54792416
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