...(Name) (Instructors’ name) (Course) (Date) Influence of Zoroastrian Eschatology Having faith in things that happens after life in this world is one of the teachings that are brought out in the Zoroastrian scriptures as from the beginning. This faith that started during the ancient times continued growing and finally it became the pillar of the later Zoroastrian hence the basis of almost all the aspects of human religious life. As a result of this faith other religions also felt its impact more specifically on Judaism then later on Christianity and Islam. Zoroastrian eschatology basically brings to conclusion the creation story, how the world exists as is depicted in the sources from the later Zoroastrian and this formed the basis for Ohrmazd and Ahriman’s battle. Contrary to this, monotheism brings out the existence of only one supreme that has control over everything. This paper will discuss the influence of the Zoroastrian eschatology and the impact it had on religious life afterwards. Conclusion of human existence comes when life on this world comes to an end; this eschatological period brings to an end the cosmic struggle and brings out the fruits of the efforts of Ohrmazd, having the assistance of other humanities hence bringing out the notion that there is victory in the good deeds (Faith 19). On the other hand eschatology is used to reflect the moral life and religion on earth, this has been compare to the justice courts where motivation and punishments are rewarded and...
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...Introduction Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of Iran, was founded about 3500 years ago by the prophet Zarathushtra. He preached that Ahura Mazda, meaning “Wise Lord,” is the only omnipotent and omniscient God (Hay, 2007). Zarathushtra has been known in the West as Zoroaster, from the Greek transliteration of his name, thus the name Zoroastrianism. After the Arab’s invasion of Iran, the once popular religion was replaced by Islam and a handful follower of Zarathushtra fled from Iran to India to escape the persecution. They are known today in India as Parsis. Currently, there are approximately 250,000 people practicing Zoroastrianism, of which 80% live in India and the rest in various parts of the world including United States (Rivetna, 2002). Although Zoroastrianism lost its status as a popular world religion, its study and knowledge are very useful in our understanding of the development of religious thought in the ancient world and how some of its important beliefs and practices have parallels in other religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Keywords: Zoroastrianisn, Ahura Mazda, sadre, kusti Basic tenets of Zoroastrianism Jayaram (2000) discussed the Zoroastrian religion in his article “Main Beliefs of Zoroastrianism.” While Zoroastrians believe that Ahuramazda is the supreme, omniscient and omnipotent God (monotheism); they also believe in the existence of a number of divinities (polytheism) who represent His good qualities and who...
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...Zoroastrianism is believed to be one of the world's primitive monotheistic religions. Founded by the Prophet Zoroaster in prehistoric Iran about 3500 years ago. It embraced many Iranian gods merging both polytheism views and monotheistic doctrines. It is believed that many Zoroastrianism views were introduced later into Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Views and understanding that is said to originate through Zoroastrianism. Some of the views that Zoroastrianism holds that can also be found in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is the view of one god who is all just and compassion. Also the battle between God and Satan. Another influence that is said to have come from Zoroastrianism that other monotheistic religions also picked up was the...
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...Influence of Zoroastrianism on Some Important Beliefs of Judaism and Christianity In order to have a greater understanding of current religions, it is necessary to have an understanding of past religions, even those of ancient times. From as early as 4000 BCE when mythical Egyptian gods were recorded, to the writings of the New Testament in the last half of the first century AD, to rejection of several teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church by Martin Luther, older religious beliefs have influenced those that followed. Over time, whether from divine revelation or self-proclamation, humans came to new understandings or found disagreement with established religions or belief systems. One lesser known religion that has had major influence on modern Judaism and Christianity is Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism is credited by many researchers and scholars as the first religion to present the concepts of monotheism (one supreme god), dualism (the concepts of good and evil), the apocalypse when good triumphs over evil (Satan), and the conscious choice of good over evil in order to be admitted to heaven as opposed to being banished to hell. As with most religions, Zoroastrianism has a founder, Zarathustra (from the Greek), also known as Zoroaster. Mary Boyce in her work, Zorastrians, Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, says Zoroaster lived in the area of ancient Persia (which includes today's Iran), some time between 1700 and 1500 BCE, but other sources...
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...Discussion "Shintoism and Zoroastrianism" Please respond to the following: It has been said that a person is Shinto in the same way that he is Japanese. Identify at least two factors which would explain the close relationship between Shintoism and Japanese nationalism. Shinto is closely related of being Japanese, a very indigenous religion with the Japanese culture with a lot of influence of Buddhism and other imported religions. Based on Shinto legends which link Shinto to Nationalism, it was believed that the native Japanese people are descended from the “Kami”, the most ancient form of spirituality, were present at the founding of Japan. Because of these beliefs, that the imperial families were an unbroken line of descent from Amaterasu, and that the family is older than the people of Japan, and its survival depends on maintaining the relationship between the Emperor and his people, the emperor rule Japan because this is what their gods want to. Allegiance to the emperor is one of the factors of being a Shinto which led to being a nationalist. Another example of would be the Japanese national Flag, a red circle on a white background. Red signifies the rising sun and the white background signifies purity, righteousness, and national loyalty. Explain at least two ways in which Zoroastrianism acts like a bridge between Eastern and Western religions. Based from what I understand with Zoroastrianism, I found out that it is one of the ancient religions in the world, and its beliefs...
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...Religious Splits Christianity is the world religion with the greatest number of followers. The name Christian comes from the title given to Jesus of Nazareth – ‘the Christ’ which is a Greek word which means ‘Messiah’. Christianity began in Palestine in the 1st century CE as the claimed fulfillment of God’s promises to the Jews. There are many different types of Christianity practiced; the major division is between Western (itself divided into Roman Catholicism and Protestantism) and Orthodox Christianity. Christianity is a belief system that has had immense cultural and political consequences. Christianity comes from the life and teachings of Jesus (5BCE-30CE approximately), a Palestinian Jew. Worship is undertaken in buildings called churches. Entry in to the Christian Church is via Baptism and is usually undertaken when the person is a baby though denominations such as Baptists wait until the person is old enough to confirm personally their own Christian faith. In denominations where Baptism is the norm for babies, Confirmation is undertaken where the person personally affirms the vows undertaken for them when they were baptized as a baby. Christians believe worshipping in a group is important and this is usually called a service which takes place in a church on a Sunday (Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday). Each denomination worships in a different way. Some may be only slight while others are more noticeable. The most important differences...
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...affected by major religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. The amount of diversity in the religious belief systems of India today, is a result of both the existence of many native religions and also, the assimilation and social integration of religions brought to the region by travellers, immigrants, traders, and even invaders and conquerors such as the Mughals. Zoroastrianism and Judaism also have an ancient history in India, and each has several thousands of Indian adherents. India has the largest population of people adhering to Zoroastrianism (i.e. Parsis and Iranis) and Bahá'í Faith in the world,[2][3] even though these religions are not native to India. Many other world religions also have a relationship with Indian spirituality, such as the Baha'i faith which recognises Buddha and Krishna as manifestations of the God Almighty.[4] The Indian diaspora in the West has popularised many aspects of Hindu philosophy such as yoga, meditation, Ayurvedic medicine, divination, karma, and reincarnation.[5] The influence of Indian religions has been significant all over the world. Several organisations, such as the Hare Krishna movement, the Brahma...
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...Muhammad and Islam Influences from several early monotheistic religions can be seen in Islam. Muhammad even said he thought people of other faiths had solutions to getting rid of polytheism. As Muhammad began to fulfill his duty as God’s Prophet, he and his followers were met with resistance. Eventually battles began to ensue over control of land and religious beliefs as Islam began to take hold. Certain characteristics from Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity that appear in Islam indicate that Muhammad used these other religions as a sort of blue print. Similar to Islam, Zoroastrianism holds that the truth is revealed through a prophet and followers typically pray several times a day. Judaism is another Abrahamic faith that uses oral law, or the Torah, similar to Hadiths that Muslims use. In Christianity, Jesus is God’s prophet similar to how Muslims believe Muhammad is His prophet. Muhammad also drew influence from the Harifs and the Muruwwa Code. The Harifs were neither Christian or Jew but believed there was only one God. Muhammad believed that the Jews, Christians, and Harifs may have “answers to the problems that were gnawing at the core of pagan Meccan society (Goldschmidt & Davidson, 2010). The Muruwwa code consists of principles that can be found in Islam and also the other previously mentioned religions. Bravery in battle, patience, persistence, protection of the weak, defiance toward the strong, hospitality, generosity, loyalty, and...
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...Origins of Religion • The First Civilizations • Early Religious Patterns • Religion was centered around capricious entities that needed to be appeased – The Phoenicians: • Baal Hammon (male storm god) and Tanit (female fertility figure) • Tophets (walled cemetries) excavated reveal that often children were sacrificed • Prehistoric Communities • Paleolithic and Neolithic Settlements • Life in Neolithic communities led to the development of art and religion. There was a belief in a higher power. Mother Earth (source of all new life) and Father Sky (all powerful). There is also evidence of burial of the dead. • Neolithic Religion • Led to reverence of ancestors – Old persons often received elaborate burials • Religious worship of early farming communities were centered around Mother Earth (source of life)and Sky God(all powerful male) • Megaliths were erected to relate to religious beliefs • Megaliths included burial chambers, calendar circles, or marking celestial occurrences – Rising sun, solstices, equinoxes • Neolithic goddess • Life in New Towns and Villages • Religious shrines could be found (2 per household) – A goddess was the venerated central deity • Metalworking became a predominant activity around 6400 BC – Abundance of copper and lead in the area – Gold and silver also appear • Farmers had to produce...
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...Chapter 8,9,& 10 1. Are Taoism and Confucianism truly religions argue both sides. Taoism and Confucianism are two very different religious traditions of ancient China. Both Taoism and Confucianism cannot clearly be explained as a religion with certain doctrines and rituals as other well –known religions. As religious and social forces, they have coexisted for centuries in China and have spread to other Asian regions. The name Taoism is taken from the title of the book called “Tao Te Ching, which translates to “the way of nature. Taoism is based on the ancient Chinese understanding of the universe. Historically, the origin of Taoist philosophy is unclear, but it is said that the founder of Taoism is Lao-tzu, who lived in the sixth century B.C.E. Taoism can be described in terms of its history and its effects on Chinese people, nut it cannot be clearly delineated as a religion with a certain body of doctrine and rituals of Chinese antiquity. Philosophically, for Taoism, the ideal life is one that is lived in harmony with the way of this shifting nature. By the early centuries of the Common Era, Taoism had been converted into a religion complete with gods, priests, temples and sacrifices. In the modern days, Taoism is mainly associated with charms, exorcisms and magical attempts to prolong life, in which there is a self-generating force called chi (rather than there being a Creator Deity). This force manifests two interplaying aspects: yin and yang. Yin is the dark...
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...Title: Difference and Similarities between Christianity and Four (4) World Religion, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Muslims and Hinduism. Introduction: In the world today there are many religions of different beliefs with vast numbers of followers. However, some of these religions turn to have similarities and differences which defer them from each another. The following report briefly talks about the differences and similarities between Christianity and other four (4) major world religions and they are Buddhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism and Muslims. Zoroastrianism and Christianity Zoroastrianism was founded by a man named Zoroaster who was born around 1200 BC (www.Answers.com). During that time the Jewish people were held captive by Babylonians and most of their beliefs .i.e. Christianity and Judaism have Zoroastrian influence in them because they (Jewish) were exposed to that (Zoroastrian). But we will discuss about the similarities and the differences between Christianity and Zoroastrian. Similarities Zoroastrian worship one God to whom they believe the world was made and also the Christians too believe in one God, they (Zoroastrians) also believe that a Saviour will be born of a virgin who will defeat the devil and establish his kingdom when he returns just like Christians believe in Jesus Christ (www.metareligion.com) . Furthermore, both religions preaches about the existence of hell and heaven, both believed that hell is a place rewarded for righteous doing and hell is...
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...World History I – Final Question #1 #1 Bentley and Ziegler state that dar-al-Islam became probably “the most prosperous and cosmopolitan society in the postclassical world.” What does this statement mean? What evidence is there for this statement? Do you agree or disagree, and why? Prosperity of Dar-al-Islam Islam itself was transformed over time as the Islamic armies extended the boundaries of the empire beyond the borders of Arabia. Each territory conquered was influenced by the Islamic religion and politics. This enlarged sense of community and grand the scale of the Islamic Empire came to be known as Dar-al-Islam or the “house of Islam” referring to all lands under Islamic rule. Although the Muslims took over conquered territories they did not alter the social structures of the previous empires and many were allowed to continue to practicing their religions as well. The Local Muslim governors were appointed and continued rely on established governments and economic systems. This system of governing promoted the fusion between the conquered societies and the Islamic religion and its politics. Take the Sasanid Dynasty for example, Muslims left in charge adopted the Persian techniques of government and finance (p.260). These transformations were not only political and economic but cultural as well. The blending of policies and technologies throughout the empire increased all facets of the Islamic economies such as overland and maritime trade as well as banking (p.270)...
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...or a god. 2. Taoism and Confucianism are nontheistic religions, that is, religions for which belief in God or gods is nonessential. While gods are not alien to either Taoism or Confucianism, belief in/of gods is not central to either tradition. What are a couple of other religions that can be called nontheistic religions? a) A few additional examples of some nontheistic religions are Agnosticism, Atheism, Buddhism, Secular Humanism and Scientology. 3. What is Paul Tillich's definition for religion, and why do Hopfe and Woodward consider its development too broad? a) Paul Tillich defines religion as, “that which is of ultimate concern”. Hopfe and Woodward consider the development of Tillich’s definition of religion too broad for a world religions course because a philosophical exploration of Tillich’s definition of religion, yields many an individuals personal belief of what is of ultimate concern hardly lending to the general understanding of popular or mainstream religions they hope to accomplish in this text. 4. Explain E. B. Tylor's theory concerning the origin and evolution of religion. What is animism, and to what, "ultimately" and "finally," did Tylor think it evolved? a) E.B. Tylor’s theory regarding the origin and evolution of religion is that primitive people developed a sense of other or soul from their experiences with death and dreams. Animism is the belief that nature, natural phenomena and the universe itself all possess some kind of soul. Tylor believes...
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...over the Indian subcontinent and traditions that are several millennia old.[1] Regarded by many historians as the "oldest living civilization of Earth", the Indian tradition dates back to 8000 BC[2] and has a continuous recorded history since the time of the Vedas, believed variously to be 3,000 to over 5,500 years ago.[3] Several elements of India's diverse culture — such as Indian religions, yoga and Indian cuisine — have had a profound impact across the world India is the birth place of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, collectively known as Indian religions.[5] Indian religions, also known as Dharmic religions are a major form of world religions along with Abrahamic ones. Today, Hinduism and Buddhism are the world's third- and fourth-largest religions respectively, with over 2 billion followers altogether,[6][7][8] and possibly as many as 2.5 or 2.6 billion followers.[6][9] India is also the birthplace for the Lingayat and Ahmadiyya faiths. India is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, with some of the most deeply religious societies and cultures. Religion still plays a central and definitive role in the life of many of its people. According to 2001 census of India, the religion of 80% of the people is Hinduism. Islam is practiced by around 13% of all Indians.[10] The country had over 23 million Christians, over 19 million Sikhs, about 8 million Buddhists and about 4 million Jains.[11] Sikhism, Jainism and especially Buddhism are influential...
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...The earliest evidence for prehistoric religion in India date back to the late Neolithic in the early Harappan period (5500–2600 BCE).[21][22] The beliefs and practices of the pre-classical era (1500–500 BCE) are called the "historical Vedic religion". Modern Hinduism grew out of the Vedas, the oldest of which is the Rigveda, dated to 1700–1100 BCE.[23] The Vedas center on worship of deities such as Indra, Varuna and Agni, and on the Soma ritual. Fire-sacrifices, called yajña were performed, and Vedic mantras chanted but no temples or icons were built.[24] The oldest Vedic traditions exhibit strong similarities to Zoroastrianism and other Indo-European religions.[25] The major Sanskrit epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, were compiled over a protracted period during the late centuries BCE and the early centuries CE[citation needed]. They contain mythological stories about the rulers and wars of ancient India, and are interspersed with religious and philosophical treatises. The later Puranas recount tales about devas and devis, their interactions with humans and their battles against demons. Three major movements underpinned the naissance of a new epoch of Hindu thought: the advent and spread of Upanishadic, Jaina, and Buddhist philosophico-religious thought throughout the broader Indian landmass.[26] Mahavira (24th Tirthankar of Jains) and Buddha (founder of Buddhism) taught that to achieve moksha or nirvana, one did not have to accept the authority of the Vedas or the caste...
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