The Persian Shadow (Part I)
Zoroastrianism and the Hidden Architecture of Islamic Theology Abstract Islam presents itself as a final and complete revelation arising in seventh-century Arabia. Modern historical scholarship, however, situates its emergence within a far older religious ecosystem whose conceptual foundations were laid in ancient Iran.
What this resource contributes
Zoroastrianism and the Hidden Architecture of Islamic Theology Abstract Islam presents itself as a final and complete revelation arising in seventh-century Arabia. Modern historical scholarship, however, situates its emergence within a far older religious ecosystem whose conceptual foundations were laid in ancient Iran. This article argues that the theological architecture underlying Islam—cosmic dualism, angelology, individual judgment, resurrection, heaven and hell, and final world renovation—originated not in Arabia, nor in early Israelite religion, but in Zoroastrianism, centuries before Judaism or Christianity developed comparable doctrines. Through textual chronology and comparative analysis, the article demonstrates that Islam inherits a theological framework whose deepest strata are Iranian. 1.
Topics and source signals
Primary sources detected
Gathas
Scholars detected
Mary Boyce · Shaul Shaked · Prods Oktor Skjærvø