Table of Contents

Contents: Foreword by W. J. Johnson; An Ancient Faith: Zarathushtra -- Prophet and Priest; The Gathas of the Prophet Zarathushtra; The Transmission of the Gathas; The Authorship and Integrity of the Gathas; Dating the Prophet -- the Gathic Evidence (and other suggestions); The Problem of the Prophet's Homeland; Zarathushtra's Death; Ahura Mazda, Spenta Mainyu and the Divine Heptad; Zarathushtra on Ahura Mazda and the Divine Relationship'; Spenta Mainyu and the Individual Amesha Spentas: Their functions and liturgical representations; Divine Heptad and the Individual Zoroastrian; Ahura Mazda and the Amesha Spentas in the Later Literature; Some Other Important Ahuric References; The Eschatology of the Gathas; The Eschatology of the Later Literature; The Two Existences and the Problem of Evil; Menog and Getig; The Problem of Evil Creatures in the Vendidad; Eschatological Considerations: The Stages of History and the Human Journey; Zoroastrianism in Exile; Sacred Fires, Holy Places; A Living Faith -- Zoroastrian Worship, Rituals and Other Observances; The Yasna, an Inner' Ceremony; The Afrinagan, an Outer' Ceremony; Birth and Early Infancy; Initiation -- the Navjote Ceremony; Initiation and Vocation -- the Zoroastrian Priesthood; Marriage; Death and Funerary Rites; Purification : the Barashnum i-no shab; The Instrumental and Expressive Functions of Zoroastrian Ritual; Holy Days, Holy Months and a Disputed Calendar; A Worshipping Community and Three Zoroastrian Prayers; A Living Faith -- Zoroastrian Ethics; Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds; The Five Faculties and Truth; Justice; The Unbreakable Nature of the Contract as an Ethical Paradigm; Putting it into Practice: Charity, Benevolence and the Parsi Zoroastrians; Identity, Unity and Disparity: Zoroastrianism Today; Who is a Zoroastrian?; The Europeans and the Zoroastrians: Orthodoxy and Reform, Text and Praxis; The Status of Women in Contemporary Zoroastrianism; Other Issues in Contemporary Zoroastrianism and a Glance to the Future; Appendix 1: Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Christianity; Appendix 2: The Roman Mithraic Mysteries; Chart 1: The historical relationship between Zoroastrian and Judeo-Christian Religion; Chart 2: The possible thematic relationships between Vedic, Zoroastrian and Judeo-Christian Religion; Chart 3: Ahura Mazda, Spenta Mainyu and the Amesha Spentas 164; Notes; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.

About the Author

Peter Clark has translated several books from Arabic. He worked for the British Council for thirty-one years, mostly in the Arab world, and is now a freelance translator and consultant on Middle East cultural affairs.

Reviews

"Recommended for general readers, all academic levels, and professionals and practitioners." Choice
"The author brings new ideas and insight to issues which have long been the focus of academic debate." -- The Expository Times.
"Everyone who needs to know about Zoroastrianism must read this well written book." -- Dr Pallan R. Ichaporia, co-author/co-translator of the Gathas.
"Zoroastrianism addresses, in a unique and compelling way, ethical issues that are still alive in the modern world. Not only does it raise fundamental questions about what it is to be a human being, and the nature of good and evil, it also considers the relationship of humans to the natural world in a vibrantly positive light." -- Dr W.J. Johnson, Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies, University of Wales, Cardiff.