How Iran Shaped the World’s Religions

[kopernick]

Spirituality in the Land of the Noble: How Iran Shaped the World’s Religions by Richard C. Foltz.

Iran was once as formidable a force as the US is today, as Britain was in the 19th century, and as Rome as 2000 years ago, yet until now no book has ever told the dramatic story of Iran’s influence on the religions of the world. From the role played by the ancient kings of Persia, as mentioned in the Bible, to Iranian themes present in Buddhism and influences on St. Augustine, author Richard C. Foltz identifies the major role of Iranians in shaping contemporary civilization. He brings his vivid story right up to date by exploring the relationship between the current Islamic regime in Iran and the country’s other religious communities. A rich new perspective on the world’s spiritual heritage.

Richard C. Foltz is Associate Professor of Religion, History, Natural Resources and Asian Studies at the University of Florida. He is the author or editor of several books, including Religions of the Silk Road (Palgrave Macmillan, 1999) and has written numerous articles.

“Few cultures have invented and reinvented such an influential series of world faiths. Foltz expounds this in an engagingly straightforward way, without dodging the controversies of scholarship or the ‘realities’ of politics. Keep this on your bookshelf…” John Perry, University of Chicago

“The book’s clarity, attractive style, and analytical insights make it a pleasure to read. Particularly useful for college students, and for general readers interested in widening their horizons on world religions.” Ehsan Yarshater, Columbia University
 
 
 CONTENTS  
Preface x
Historical Timeline xv
Map xviii
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

CONCLUSION 173

Glossary 175
Notes 179
Bibliographic Essay 185
Index 196

http://www.oneworld-publications.com/books/spirituality-in-the-land-of-the-noble.htm