Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion

2010 Edition
| Editors: David A. Leeming, Kathryn Madden, Stanton Marlan

Zoroastrianism

  • Sam Cyrous
Reference work entry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-71802-6_845

Zoroastrianism, also called Zarathustrism, Mazdeism or Parsism, is the religion founded by Zoroaster in Ancient Persia, with approximately 150–250 thousand believers worldwide, mainly concentrated in India and Iran. It is in the Zend-Avesta, which literally means Commentaries on Knowledge, the holy book of Zoroastrainism, that one can find the principle assertions of this faith. The Avesta is divided in the three parts: Yasna (sacred Liturgy chapters), Visperad, Vendidad (constituted of purifications laws), and Khorda.

Zoroaster's Early Life

Zoroaster (or Zarathustra, as He is known in the West, or Zartosht in Persian), is the founder of Zoroastrianism, considered one of the first non-pantheistic and monotheistic religions. Zoroaster apparently lived in ancient Persia, at an uncertain time in the first millennium before Christ. Joseph Campbell (1962) describes Zoroaster as “the earliest prophet” (7–8). According to Fatheazám (1972), even at the age of 15, He was respected by His...

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010

Authors and Affiliations

  • Sam Cyrous
    • 1
  1. 1.FaroPortugal