<
>
Download

Seminararbeit
Theologie

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Prof. Heinrich, 2018

Philipp Shakunle ©
7.40

1.14 Mb
sternsternsternsternstern
ID# 76036







Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen

Zarathustra, the Prophets, and the Christ

A Comparative Study


Table of Contents

Introduction. 1

1. Biographical Information regarding Zarathustra. 2

3. The Cosmology of Zarathustra and Fulfillment-Theology. 9

4. Zarathustra and the Prophetic Literature – Comparison. 11

6.  The Synoptic Gospels and the Message of Zarathustra. 14

7. Conclusion. 16

Bibliography. 17


Zarathustra, the Prophets, and the Christ

All biblical references taken from the ESV translation. All references to the Gathas, including the numbers indicating the stanza of the Ha, are based on the translation  by D. J. Irani (see bibliography).

Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to relate and compare the teachings of Zarathustra to the witness of the Old and New Testament, especially in reference to the center piece of Christian Theology, i.e. Jesus, the Christ. I will first seek to outline basic themes in the teachings of Zarathustra, and then summatively bring them into dialogue with sections of the Corpus of the Old Testament Literature
[JH1] , as well as the New Testament.

In order to approach this topic it is important to note that although the terms Zoroastrianism and Christianity are terms used to describe certain phenomena, the founders of the respective religion did never use these terms. Instead, these terms are actually used in reference to these founders, in order to indicate their importance.

In the case of Christianity, the term designates the centrality of Christ for the faith. In the case of Zoroastrianism, Zarathustra is the central figure, Zoroaster in Greek, and hence the name of the faith-movement derives its name from him. In its infancy, neither Christianity nor Zoroastrianism was an enclosed and static system that could be compared with one another via comparative religion, but both were rather prophetic movements in a certain point [JH2] in history, like the prophetic movements recorded in the Old Testament (Elijah, Jeremiah, etc.). The prophets of the Old Testament, according to the Scriptural record, [JH3] spoke and acted at a certain point in history, and Christ, according to the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews (Chapter 1, Verses 1 and 2), stood in direct chronological as well as prophetic succession to them.

Christ, according to the Early Christian understanding, which is reflected for instance in the above-mentioned Letter to the Hebrews as well as in the four gospels, is the last in line of a long lineage of prophets. Qua his own words, he did not come to “destroy the law, or the prophets […] but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17[JH4] ), in other words, he does not act against what was spoken before, but acts in continuity with the prophets, seeking to ‘fill out’[JH5]  their ministry.

And yet the corpus of the Old Testament in which the words and deeds of the Old Prophets are recorded, is not conclusive in a certain sense. It is not, nor would it even be possible, that all history that happened during the time of the prophets was recorded, but only that pertaining to the history of Israel. The writing of History, any historical writing, is selective.

Only those aspects that an editor deems important in reference to his cause are included in the writing of the history. A comparable New Testament parallel can be found in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. It is very clear that in these short twenty-eight chapters not all events of the very early church are included, as this would not be possible. Luke, the author of the book, only included certain aspects of the history.

He naturally was unable to include the aspects of which he, either due to geographical constraints or for some other reason, did not have any knowledge of. It is relatively futile to speculate why Zarathustra is not mentioned in the Old Testament. But it is possible that this is connected to the geographical distance between his area of influence and the area that is of main concern for the editors [JH6] of the Old Testament writings.

Throughout the Old Testament there is no indication that there was any relationship between the followers of Zarathustra and the biblical prophets or any other adherents to the Israelite cult, and again, it is futile here to guess whether there was any relationship between them, unmentioned by the writers of the Old Testament. What is of interest for this paper is rather whether there is a spiritual kinship between Zarathustra and the Old Testament prophets, and, especially, the Christ.

In other words, could it be that both are acting on behest of the same Spirit, are moved by the same Source, proclaim essentially the same message[JH7] ? And in what relation could the teachings of Zarathustra stand in relation to Christ himself? Is a ‘fulfillment’ model, the same [JH8] fulfillment model that Christ applied to himself and the prophets, possible in relation to Zarathustra as well? This will be explored below throughout this paper.

1. Biographical Information regarding Zarathustra

Scholars are uncertain regarding the exact time of the ministry of Zarathustra, but they are unanimous in their opinion that he lived and acted prior to Christ. While the ancient Greeks believed him to have lived 6000 years prior to Plato[JH9] , the Zoroastrians themselves place his work 258 years prior to Alexander the Great, i. e. around 600 BC (cf.

Heiler, 267).  This belief, the belief that he lived about 600 years before the Christ, is also held by many scholars today.
Just as there exists no absolute certainty regarding the time he lived, it is equally difficult to determine other aspects of his biography. Scholars believe that he mostly worked in the eastern parts of Iran, but deem it possible that he only arrived there after fleeing from the western parts (cf.

Heiler, 266). According to the Gathas, that part of Zoroastrian Scripture that can, with a high degree of certainty, be directly attributed to Zarathustra and hence is not just part of a later development of tradition after his ministry, he had a least one daughter (cf. Yasna 53), which implies that he was also married[JH10] . As needs to be remembered, during that time the overall pace of living was much slower than today, the main medium of communication was likely orality, transportation to far-off regions was much more cumbersome and frequently by foot, and most people - those that did not belong to the upper class - where almost always either agriculturalists, herdsmen, or craftsmen.

According to Dinshah Jijibhoy Irani, a 19th and 20th century commentator and translator of Zarathustra’s writings,[JH11]  Zarathustra was living during a time of political as well as military conflict; the majority of the other people were traditional worshippers, and thus likely not solely devoted to the Creator God advocated by Zarathustra, but to smaller divinities.

Irani notes that “in the pre-Zoroastrian religious culture there were a host of divinities,” (Irani, 11) each one performing different functions. This sounds analogous to the worshipping practices of devotees to Hinduism today, as well as to the pre-Christian and pre-Islamic worshipping patterns still observable in sub-Saharan Africa to this day. It could here be worth mentioning that in the case of Hinduism and African Traditional Religion, the belief in the Creator God, or so-called High God, is not absent, but merely not the center of attention, as the worship is more focused on the ‘lesser divinities’.

More information regarding Zarathustra can be gathered through his hymns, the Gathas, as these reveal his inner aspirations as well as perceived mission. To these we shall now turn.

2. Zarathustra’s Gathas[JH13] 

The Gathas are poetic hymns addressed largely to Ahura Mazda, similar to the Psalms of the Old Testament, although different in style. Ahura Mazda is the primary denominator used in the hymns to address God: Ahura means “Life”, Mazda may be translated as “Wisdom”. This God, identified to be the ‘Creator’ (Yasna 29, Yasna 44, etc.) throughout the hymns, is continuously praised and petitioned by Zarathustra, in lieu of his quest to find an answer to the ethical dilemma, the rampant rule of wickedness and violence, of his time.

Zarathustra himself is elected in the process of petitioning [JH14] to be a teacher of wisdom and righteousness, for the sake of the betterment of the world. Aside from being addressed to Ahura Mazda and presenting information regarding Zoroaster, many of the hymns are also addressed to those who came to listen to the hymns.

In total, there are 17 Haitis, or Hymns, with a total of 238 verses, divided into 5 sub-sections: Ahunavaiti, Ushtavaiti, Spenta Mainyu, Vohu Khshathra, and Vahishto Ishti. While the first sub-section, Ahunavaiti, contains the first seven Haitis, and the second and third section contain four each, the last two Haitis each just contain one Hymn.

Among these different sub-sections there is not always a clear thematic distinction. After having been written down by Zarathustra, the Hymns later came to be used, in a liturgical form, in a ceremony (cf. Irani, 5). The 17 Haitis, or Has, as they are also commonly called, will now be explored in more detail, for they function as the main source regarding the teachings of the prophet Zarathustra.

Most scholars seem to place Yasna[JH15]  (Hymn) 29 at the beginning of the Gathas, because of reasons internal to the text, although technically Yasna 28 is first. In order to understand these Gathas correctly, it is important to remember that they are not comprehensive theological treatises, and do not seek to provide an answer to all aspects of Zoroastrian theology, just as the same could not be said regarding the Old Testament prophets.

In fact, quite often the poetic imagery of the Hymns, comparable to that of the Psalms or any other poetry, seeks to much rather evoke a certain response within the hearer rather than to respond to a question he or she might have. It is hoped that the importance of this source justifies their elaborate treatment here.

In response, Zarathustra petitions for protection of the righteous with the response that he himself is made the “protector and guide, for the welfare of the world and its diligent people” (6.)[JH16] . The Hymns of the Gathas are identified as a gift from God, just as the teachings therein contained, which are “for the well-being of the world and its righteous people.” [JH17] Zarathustra is said to have been the only one who listened to the teachings of Ahura Mazda (cf. 8.) [JH18] It[JH19]  ends by Zarathustra petitioning Ahura Mazda and his Spirit of Truth and Right[JH20]  to help him and to give him the authority and power to accomplish the goal of procuring peace and happiness to the world “[o]f which,Thou, O Lord, art indeed the first possessor”[JH21] .

Yasna 28, the Hymn that is commonly put after Yasna 29 although it originally proceeded it, begins with the “most celebrated verse in the Gathas” (Irani, 9):

In humble adoration, with hands outstretched/ I pray to Thee, O Mazda!
First of all, through Thy Holy Spirit vouchsafe to me/ All righteousness of action, all wisdom of the Good Mind/ That I may thereby bring joy to the Soul of Creation
[JH22] . (1.)

This prayer is characteristic for the attitude of Zarathustra throughout the Gathas, as well as the theme that ‘righteousness of action’ and ‘wisdom of the Good Mind’ bring ‘joy’ to Creation, i.e. that good thought and good action lead to the peace and well-fare of creation. Zarathustra furthermore says that his Hymns will take the ‘awakened soul’ to the “Dominion of Heaven” [JH23] and commits himself to be a teacher of Right[JH24]  and Truth to all that seek after it.

Throughout the Haitis, Zarathustra invokes various addresses, all of which are one the one hand distinguished from Ahura Mazda and yet, implicitly and yet unmistakably, understood to be part of Him: The Sprits of Truth and the Good Mind (cf. Ibid., 3); Armaity, the Spirit of Benevolence (cf. Ibid., 3); Asha, ‘equipped with the knowledge of Truth and Righteousness’ (Ibid., 5); The Eternal Wise Spirit (which could be a designation of Ahura Mazda as well) (cf.

Yasna 30 begins by stating that it is addressed to the listeners. Two primal spirits are described, the Good and the Evil. These two primal spirits are ‘eternal’, i.e. they will not pass away as long as the world is. The wise men are exhorted to decide aright. To choose Truth and Righteousness is to choose the path that is well-liked by Ahura Mazda, while those that enter on the path of evil are described as ‘Demon Worshippers’ (6.)[JH26] .

Man is called upon to be among those that make ‘the world progress towards perfection’ (9.); thinking is an aid in this process[JH27] . The commandments given by ‘the Wise Lord’ lead to happiness and pain: happiness for those that follow them, while pain is the result for those that reject them (11.).

In Yasna 31, the common themes of petitioning for help, devotion towards Ahura Mazda and announcement of teaching for the people are repeated. In Stanza 6 it is declared that he who teaches the message is of the best state, i.e. a particularly exalted position. There is an interesting parallel here to the teaching of Christ that those who hold and teach[JH28]  his commandments will be called ‘great in the kingdom of heaven’, (Matthew 5:19), whereas those that lead others, particularly children that believe in Christ, astray, will also suffer the consequences (Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2).

Zarathustra proceeds with a message of warning towards the evil-doers (9.-16.).
In Yasna 33, Zarathustra again sings about Ahura Mazda, whom he calls Ratu, i.e. Judge, and says that he will judge everybody rightly (1.). At a certain point in the speech, the prophet desires to be blessed with a vision, presumably by Ahura Mazda, and to communicate with Him. He desires Ahura Mazda to ‘come hither to [him]’ (6.). Again, petitions for divine help are made, one of them asking for ‘grace’, in order to ‘make wide the vision of my mind; make manifest Thy everlasting attributes; Make known the blessings of Thy Kingdom of Heaven […]’ (13).

In the last part, Zarathustra offers himself as an offering to Ahura Mazda, a concept which, according to D. J. Irani commentator, stands in stark contrast to the praxis of the traditional worshippers that the prophet mostly ministered to.

Yasna 34 again begins by Zarathustra dedicating himself to the service of Ahura Mazda (1). He asks to know the proper way of worship, which is “good thought, good word, good action” (13). Following this doctrine and tending Creation properly also has a positive effect on the health of the practitioner (14), and it is also because of this, that Zarathustra, in the concluding verse, again asks Ahura Mazda for the knowledge of his teaching and for the regeneration of “existence” (15).

Yasna 43 repeats the theme of the blessedness of those that pursue righteousness. It reiterates the principle that God will give to everyone according to his or her actions – “Good to the good, evil to the evil” (5.). Zarathustra identifies himself as a “friend of the good” who “shall […] strive to enlighten and awaken all to the realization of [Ahura Mazda’s] Eternal Dominion” (8.) Petitions for wisdom, righteousness and a long and “blessed” life follow (13.).

In Yasna 44, Zarathustra asks for the right form of veneration and enters into a series of questions regarding the origin of creation and its assortment, as well as other questions pertaining to his quest for righteousness in the world. Who is the source of “light and darkness” (5) and “who so balanced the earth and heavens to keep them apart?”(4).

These questions are, however, more meant as an expression of the yearning for a deeper understanding of the Creator, Ahura Mazda, as He[JH29]  is the obvious answer. One commentator (Irani, 11), remarks: “It is relevant to note that in the pre-Zoroastrian religious culture there were a host of divinities performing these functions.” The questions of Zarathustra thus stand in direct opposition to this world-view.

The “holier of the two” speaks and repudiates the evil principle (2.). The teachings that Zarathustra brings are identified as the “First Principle of Life”. Again it is explained that it is best in life to “act in consonance with the Spirit of Truth, the holy Asha” (3.).

In Yasna 46, Zarathustra laments because his message is rejected. It seems to have been sung during an early stage of his ministry (Irani, 11). Throughout the song, he expresses that “he who looks upon evil with tolerance is no other than evil.” (6.) The Karpans, who according to one scholar (Irani, 9), are members of a priestly caste, and the Kavis, who are princes, rulers, or chiefs of a tribe, are repudiated as they “have tyrannized over humanity” (11.). They shall suffer the consequences of their action when crossing the “Bridge of Judgment”.

Zarathustra continues to exhort the people to choose right over wrong in order to bring creation closer towards the “Great Renovation”, [JH30] a concept that is not more clearly described here, but likely entails the ethical renewal of the human society (19).

All good things have been assigned to the good, but those that walk on the path of falsity shall reap destruction (5.). Ahura Mazda is the just one who gives to everyone his or her due (6.).

In Yasna 48, a time is envisioned when Truth will have defeated all Lie and full adoration of the Glory of Ahura Mazda may take place [JH31] (1.). The mind is understood as being the source of the behavior of the human as, for the evil-doers, ‘their words and deeds will reflect their sentiments (4).

Man is called upon to care for the land (5.), to abandon any ill-will and anger (7.), and good rulership is prayed for (5.). Those that diligently seek to better the earth are deemed ‘saviors of the earth’ (12.).

In Yasna 49, a certain man called Bandva is mentioned who, supposedly, has withstood the ministry of Zarathustra. He has been a ‘stubborn foe’ (1.), ‘impervious […] to the influence of the Good Mind’ (2.). Aside from that, common themes such as the petitioning for righteousness, the beneficial effect of the way of righteousness, and the judgment of Ahura Mazda, are repeated.

Yasna 51, the only hymn in the fourth sub-section titled Vohu Khshathra, has the realization of righteousness on the governmental level as its central theme. He reiterates some of the themes of the other Hymns. A good man devoted to this good cause may attain to the ‘Kingdom of the Good Mind’ (21.).

Yasna 53, the last Hymn and the only one which is part of the section Vahistho Ishti, is different from the others as it takes place during a discernible event in the life of Zarathustra: the wedding of his daughter. At the wedding, he reiterates the themes found in the other verses and as his daughter bids[JH32]  to follow in the way of piety and righteousness, he addresses the by-standers, instructing them to walk in the path of Truth in order to attain happiness together; for the way of falsehood will lead to unhappiness.

He also envisions a time when everybody, at last, will turn to the principles of Ahura Mazda (1.), and finishes this Hymn, and thus the Gathas, with another exclamation invoking the just judgment of Ahura Mazda.

Each person will receive his or her due reward or punishment from Ahura Mazda, who is addressed at various points throughout the Gathas, as Zarathustra requests Righteousness, Truth, and other qualities from Him.

3. The Cosmology of Zarathustra and Aspects of the Gospel of John
The underlying worldview of the Gathas rests primarily on two foundations. Firstly, Ahura Mazda, just as the God denominated
[JH33]  JHWH in the Old Testament, is understood to be the Creator of Heaven and Earth. He is accompanied by other aspects of his own Being: Truth, the Good Mind, Piety, the Kingdom of Heaven, Immortality, something akin to the concept of Shalom, i.e. peace, Wisdom, Righteousness, etc.

It would not be wrong, in this context to say that the Highest Being is Truth, Wisdom, Piety, the Good Mind, etc., and yet it would not do justice to the Zoroastrian cosmology to turn the two aspects around and call Truth, Wisdom, or any other aspect of the Divinity God – this, piety would not permit. This conception finds its partial parallel in the Old Testament concept of ‘Wisdom’ as explained in the book of Proverbs and in the New Testament in the Concept of ‘Logos’ in the Gospel of John.

Here, it is God who through his word creates the world and brings it into order (Genesis 1). The Logos term of the first century, the time when the Evangelist John was writing, sought to encapsulate in meaning the eternal and unchanging Qualities of God, i.e. primarily his goodness, but also his gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, justice, peacefulness, etc. This is in direct analogy to Zarathustra’s teaching: it is as if Plato, who was the first who explicitly described the Logos concept, and Zarathustra perceive the same entity.

Moreover, John seems to imply that Jesus, the Christ, himself is the living embodiment of these eternal and unchanging qualities, that is, he is Piety, Truthfulness, Goodness, Kindness, Justice, Fidelity, Peacefulness, etc. in personae. Throughout the Gospel of John, the Christ, who has traditionally been called the ‘Wisdom of God’ also describes himself as being the ‘Light’, the ‘Truth’, the ‘Way’, and hence it would make coherent sense to replace the word ‘Logos’ in the first chapter of John with those words.


| | | | |
Tausche dein Hausarbeiten

G 2 - Cached Page: Thursday 28th of March 2024 12:29:53 PM