Many Peoples Many Faiths 10th Edition

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 CHAPTER SIX: ONE GOD, MANY WORDS AND WONDERS: THE FAMILY
OF THE GREAT MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONS AND ZOROASTRIANISM

Chapter Outline and Unit Summaries

I. The Nature of Monotheistic Religion

A. Monotheism: Religions that Profess Belief in One All-Powerful and Personal
God and in No Other Gods

1. Monotheism Emerges When Humanity Moves Beyond Cosmic

Consciousness
2. All Monotheistic Religions Trace Origins Back to a Founder

a. Founder Makes Known in History a Special Revelation from a

Personal God
b. Founder Gives Authoritative Word from the One God

3. Strong Emphasis on the Written Word of Scripture

4. Committed to a Linear Concept of Time: They are

Eschatological—Believe in a Story of History Beginning with Creation
and Moving to a Climatic Definite End
5. Intense Individual Commitment and Emphasis on Verbal Expression
6. Carry Over Many Symbols from Cosmic Religion

B. The Three Largest, Most Influential Monotheistic Religions Today

1. Judaism
2. Christianity
3. Islam

C. Smaller, Less Influential, and/or Less Explicitly Monotheistic Religions

1. Zoroastrianism
2. Sikhism
3. Bhaktic Hinduism
4. Amidist Buddhism

D. Distinctively Monotheistic Style of Worship

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 1. A Relation of Interpersonal, Awe, Love, and Obedience
Unshared by Polytheism or Mystical Religion
2. However, Not All People in the Monotheistic Tradition are Really
Concerned with Personal Relationship to God
3. For Many, the Practical and Sociological Aspects of a
Monotheistic Religion are What Matters

E. Significant Practical and Social Differences Between Various

Branches of Monotheism Cannot Be Ignored

II. The Abrahamic Faiths

A. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam comprise about half of the

religious world
B. Common ancestor was Abraham
C. Have Common Features Historically and Practically
D. Common Features

1. Belief in One Personal God who created the World,

established Personal Relationships with Humanity, and
Who is in Charge of and Intervenes in History
2. History or Time is Linear, Running from Creation to the
Last Day
3. Succession of Prophets who speak the Message of God
4. A Definite, Relatively Compact of Scripture
5. A Belief in Angels and Satan
6. An Eschatology affirming Future Divine Judgment at the
End of History
7. The Origin of each Semitic People in the Ancient Middle
East
8. The Importance of Jerusalem
9. An Orientation in the Desert
10. The Importance of the Sabbath
11. The Importance of Ritual and Ethical Law

E. Monotheism runs through History and is Universalist

III. Zoroastrianism

A. Three Basic Motifs of Persian Religion

1. A Battle Between Light and Darkness

2. Eschatology
3. Paradise, Ideal Heavenly Realm

B. Basic Motifs of Persian Religion Influence Later Monotheism

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C. Zoroaster's (Zarathustra Spitama) Life (Born Before 600 B.C.E.) and
Spiritual Vision

D. Central Teachings on God

1. Only One God Exists, the Creator of all, Ahura Mazda (Lord of all
Wisdom) and Zoroaster is His Prophet

a. Ahura Mazda: Aryan Supreme High God

b. Zoroaster Declares Ahura Mazda the Sole God, All the Gods
of Nature (Daevas) Declared False Gods
c. Extreme Radical Monotheism: Not Even Zoroaster's
Contemporary Moses Denied the Existence of other
Gods
d. Ahura Mazda: Invisible and Intangible

2. Ahura Mazda Reveals Self Through Agency of Six Modes (the

Amesha-Spenta, Holy Immortals)
3. The God of Evil

a. Zoroastrianism is Monotheistic, Not Truly a Dualism

b. Two Spirits Emanate from One God, Ahura Mazda

(1) Spenta Mainyu: Good Beneficial Spirit

(2) Angra Mainyu (or Ahriman, Shaitin, Satan): Evil
Spirit Commanding Host of Demons; Lord of the
Lie
(3) Mutually Dependent, Like Yin and Yang
(4) Zoroaster Identifies all Pre-Zoroastrian Aryan
Daevas as Demons of Angra Mainyu
(5) Aeshma Second to Angra Mainyu: The Demon
of Wrath, Disease, Death

c. The Two Spirits Not Independent of Each Other or

Ahura Mazda; Co-Exist from Beginning of Time

E. Central Teachings on the Nature of Humankind

1. Humans Cooperate with Either Forces of Good or Evil

a. Humans Born Innocent and Sinless

b. Humans Draw Ahriman into Trap Set by Ahura Mazda
c. Humans Have Pure Freedom to Decide Which Side to Take
in Cosmic Struggle, Good or Evil
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 d. All Will be Held Accountable for Choices; Ethical Conduct
Determines One's Eternal Destiny

2. Zoroastrianism's Unique Contribution: Eschatology

a. Complete System about the End of the World, Not Just

Individual's Death
b. Soul Stays with Body for Three Days after Death to Meditate
on the Deeds of Life
c. On Fourth Day After Death Soul Crosses Chinvat Bridge to
Either Hell or Paradise
d. Time Comes to End, Ahura Mazda Destroys All Evil, the
Souls in Hell Freed, New Cycle of History Begins without
Presence of Angra Mainyu and His Demons

F. Historical Development of Zoroastrianism

1. Well Established Religion of Persian People by Sixth Century B.C.E.

2. Possible Religion of Cyrus the Great (rules 558-530 B.C.E.)
3. Jews in Babylonian Captivity in 538 B.C.E. When Liberated by
Cyrus the Persian—Changes in Jewish Theology After
Babylonian Exile Suggest Zoroastrian Influence

a. Emergence of a Satan Figure in Judaism Post-Exile

b. Jewish Literature in Inter-Testament Period Contains
References to Satan and His Demons
c. New Testament Assumes Existence of Satan
d. Post-Exilic Books Speak in Resurrection of Body, Life
After Death in Heaven/Hell, End of Time, Judgment Day,
Suggesting Zoroastrian Influence
e. Jewish-Christian Themes Most Influential on Muhammad
Seem to Have Zoroastrian Precedent

4. Persian Empire Conquered by Alexander the Great (Fourth

Century B.C.E.)
5. Revival of Zoroastrianism in Third Century C.E. Under Sassanid
Rulers of Persia
6. Zoroastrianism in Persia and India from 642 C.E. to Today

a. Muslim Intolerance by 9th Century C.E.

b. Zoroastrians Either Convert or Flee Persia to India
c. Hindus Tolerate Zoroastrians (Parsees, Persians)
d. Flourish in India in Nineteenth Century
e. Today Parsees Lead in Education, Business, Finance
Beyond their Minority Status
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IV. Fundamental Features of Zoroastrianism

A. Theoretical
1. Basic Worldview: The Universe is a Battleground Between Good
and Evil
2. God or Ultimate Reality: The Good High God, Ahura Mazda,
Whose Adversary is the Evil Force
3. Ahura Mazda Made the World to Entrap the Evil Force
4. Destiny of the World: At the End of the Age, Remade as New,
Pristine Paradise
5. Origins of Humans

a. Judgment after Death

b. Sentence to Paradise or Hell
c. Resurrection in the New World at the End of the Age

6. Revelation Through the Prophet Zoroaster; Mediated by Priests

B. What is Expected of Humans

1. To Choose the Good, Do Right, Keep Pure

2. To Maintain the Faith by Supporting its Rites and Institutions

C. Major Social Institutions

1. Temples
2. Priesthood
3. Close-Knit Community
4. Mostly Parsees in India

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Key Names, Concepts, and Terms

monotheism Ahura Mazda Daevas Parsees

Zoroaster Amesha-Spenta eschatology Mobeds/Magi
Gathas Angra Mainyu Chinvat Bridge Zend Avesta
axial age Ahriman resurrection messiah

Questions for Class Discussion

1. The authors argue that, unlike polytheism or mystical religions, monotheistic

religions often teach the possibility of an interpersonal relation with God
characterized by awe, love, and obedience. However, they add, not all people in the
monotheistic tradition are concerned with that sort of relationship to God; for many,
the practical and sociological aspects of a monotheistic religion are what matters.
How does this make monotheism like or unlike what the authors described as the
basically social-familial character of South Asian religion in Chapter Five?

2. How does Zoroastrianism's handling of the problem of evil compare to the ways this
issue is handled by religions originating in India, China, and Japan? How does it
compare to the way the problem of evil is handled in secular worldviews?

3. Many themes in Judaism and Christianity have precedents in Zoroastrianism. Would it

be helpful for Jews and Christians to study Zoroastrianism as way to better
understand their own religions? Would this challenge the assumptions many hold
about Jewish and Christian uniqueness as world religions?

Evaluation Questions

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following is a monotheistic faith?

A. Zoroastrianism
B. Sikhism
C. I s l a m
D. All of the above

2. The Persian King Cyrus released the __________from exile in Babylon.

A. Zoroastrians
B. J e w s
C. Muslims
D. all of the above

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3. The high god in Zoroastrianism is called __________.
A. Angra Mainyu/Aluiman
B. Amesha Spentas
C. Daeva
D. Ahura Mazda

4. The evil spirit and Lord of the Lie in Zoroastrianism is called ___________.
A. Angra Mainyu/Ahriman
B. Amesha Spentas
C. Daeva
D. Ahura Mazda

5. Most Zoroastrians outside of India are mostly found living in ___________.

A. Iraq
B . Pakistan
C. Iran
D . Saudi Arabia

True/False

6. Eschatology is an emphasis on the end of history.

7. Ahura Mazda is the high god in Zoroastrianism.

8. Iblis is considered to be an angel is Islam.

9. The Amesha Spentas are known as the Holy Immortals or Good Spirits.

10. In Zoroastrianism, immediately after death, a person has to cross the bridge called
Chinvat.

11. The Zend Avesta are the Zoroastrian scriptures.

12. Abrahamic religions are found along bodies of waters, including the Red Sea.

13. Zoroastrianism teaches that humans are puppets of spiritual forces beyond their
control, and hence their eternal destiny is determined by fate.

14. Zoroastrianism teaches radical, world-negating asceticism to prepare the soul for
paradise after life.

15. The heyday of Zoroastrianism as an official, organized religion was during Sassanian
Dynasty in Persia.

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Fill in the Blank

16. The best translation of Ahura Mazda is _________.

17. The term _________ refers to hymns of the early Zoroastrians.

18. After the __________empire was conquered by Alexander in the 4th century B.C.E.,
Zoroastrianism fell into decline; it underwent resurgence under the __________ in
the 3rd century C.E.

19. Zoroaster's original name was __________.

20. __________ affirms future divine judgment and end of history.

Matching

Match the terms to their proper definition or example; the same term might apply to more
than one definition or example.

A. Spenta Mainyu B. Angra Mainyu C. Zend Avesta D. Chinvat

21. Zoroastrian scriptures

22. Known in the later Jewish and Christian traditions as Satan

23. A beneficent spirit of goodness emanating from Ahura Mazda

24. The bridge crossed by souls after death

25. Commands a host of demons. but will be overcome by Ahura Mazda at the end
of time

Essay Questions

26. How does Zoroastrianism explain the existence of evil? How does this
compare to the Abrahamic Religions?

27. Explain the nature of Ahura Mazda in Zorastrianism.

28. Describe the Zoroastrian view of human nature and discuss its relation to Zoroastrian ethics
and eschatology. How is this the same or different from the Abrahamic Religions?
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29. Zoroastrianism is often considered a dualistic religion. Explain the sense in which this is a
plausible but ultimately inaccurate description.

30. Explain why some scholars believe that Zoroastrianism influenced the development
of Judaism and Christianity.

Answer Key for Evaluation Questions

Multiple Choice:
1.D 2.B 3.D 4.A 5.C

True/False:
6. True 7. True 8. False 9. True 10. False
11. True 12. False 13. False 14. False 15. True

Fill in the Blank:

16. the High God 17. Gathas 18. Persian; Sassanid 19. Zarathustra 20. Eschatology

Matching:
21.C 22.B 23.A 24.D 25.B

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