Table of Contents

1. The Origins of Iranian Religion 1
2.. Zoroastrianism 17
3. Judaism 43
4. Buddhism 61
5. Christianity 77
6. Cnostic Traditions 97
7. Islam 115
8. The Babi Movement and the Baha'I faith 141
9. Religions in Iran today.

About the Author

Author Richard C. Foltz is Associate Professor of Religion at Concordia University, Montreal. He is the author of several books, including Religions of the Silk Road (Macmillan, 2000), in addition to many papers, encyclopedia articles and book chapters.

Reviews

Since ancient times, Iranian religion has deeply influenced a number of the world's faith traditions, especially Christianity and late Judaism. In this helpful survey, historian of religion Foltz traces the history of religion in Iran and observes the ways that many faiths have incorporated many of its beliefs and practices. Ancient Iranian religion attributes the creation of the universe to cosmic forces. As Iranian religion evolved, Zoroastrianism-which developed as the major religion of Iran sometime between 1200 and 600 BCE-introduced the notion of a creator deity, Ahura Mazda, and its prophet, Zoroaster (or Zarathustra), who wrote down Ahura Mazda's words in the Avesta, or scriptures. As Foltz points out, Zoroastrianism developed a dualistic system of cosmic good and evil, a belief in personal resurrection, angelology and demonology, and eschatological notions about cosmic battles between the forces of light (good) and darkness (evil). Foltz devotes a chapter to the major world religions that have passed through, and in some cases still exist, in Iran. Although Iranian religion has famously influenced Christianity-particularly in the development of cosmic dualism-Foltz demonstrates that it has also shaped Islam, Buddhism, Manichaean Gnosticism, Judaism and the Baha'i faith. Although Foltz uncovers no new information, his straightforward history provides useful insights into the foundations of many of the world's religions. (Mar.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Readers' initial response to this book's subtitle might be, What else besides Islam? This reviewer expected a narrowly focused read, but how mistaken he was. Foltz (religion, Univ. of Florida; Religions of the Silk Road) reveals the obvious: that Iran, at the crossroads of East and West, has greatly influenced most of the world religions. He begins by examining how many of the key beliefs in world faiths were found in ancient Iran and then makes compelling arguments that Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and other faiths, were deeply influenced and irrevocably changed as they were carried by merchants through this Iranian filter. The mechanism of dispersal was the famous Silk Road, which for centuries wove its way through the ancient Persian Empire. Foltz notes similar traits in different faiths, then plots out a geographical and temporal vector of travel-one that theoretically leads back to the point of the trait's origin. Even if one dismisses this methodology, there is enough in this rich book to delight the casual reader of comparative religions and to convince the serious religion scholar that the author's thesis demands further investigation. Recommended for public and academic libraries.-Glenn Masuchika, Rockwell Collins Info. Ctr., Cedar Rapids, IA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.