Zoroastrianism: History, Religion, and Belief
SOAS University of London
  • Start Date: 26 Jul, 2021
  • 4 weeks
  • Study Content: Videos


Explore the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism, its languages, and the challenges faced by Zoroastrian communities today.

Course Fee: Free
Certificate Cost: See Fees and Eligibility

Course Description

This course is made available through the eLearnAfrica and FutureLearn partnership.

Delve into the rich visual history of the Zoroastrian religion


Zoroastrianism has had a profound influence on major world religions. Its history tells the story of imperial culture, persecution, migration and the establishment of diasporic communities.


Utilising a rich visual repository of artifacts, paintings, and texts, this four-week course will take you through the story of Zoroastrian religion, history, and culture.


The course draws inspiration from an exhibition titled ‘The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination’, as well as the book of the same name.


Discover the fire at the centre of this ancient religion


You’ll start by looking at the teachings of the Zoroastrian faith to understand where it sits in the context of world religions. You’ll then explore the religion’s history, from antiquity to present day.


Fire is a supreme symbol of Zoroastrianism and is central to the religion’s doctrine, ritual, and observance. You’ll learn how to link this idea to everyday devotional life and care for the planet.


Explore the challenges facing Zoroastrian communities


Today, this ancient religion is in retreat, with numbers diminishing and the language becoming endangered.


On this course, you’ll examine the challenges the community faces and connect them to historical events to build a larger picture of the religion.


Finally, you’ll look at the religion’s ancient language, Avestan, which is key to understanding Zoroastrian texts, myths, and legends.


Learn from the experts at SOAS University of London


SOAS has a long history of teaching and research on the subject of Zoroastrianism, together with the languages, both ancient and modern, that support it.


As the only institution to have two endowed posts in Zoroastrianism, SOAS is uniquely positioned to guide you through the history and challenges of this ancient religion.


This course is designed for anyone interested in ancient religions - both ancient and living - specifically Zoroastrian religious traditions and its languages. It will also appeal to anyone interested in Iranian Studies or South Asian Studies.


Members of the Zoroastrian community worldwide will find this course particularly useful.


Certificate cost may vary. You will be redirected to the host page for cost and payment options.

SOAS University of London

SOAS, University of London is the only Higher Education institution in Europe specialising in the study of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East.

SOAS is a remarkable institution. Uniquely combining language scholarship, disciplinary expertise and regional focus, it has the largest concentration in Europe of academic staff concerned with Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

On the one hand, this means that SOAS scholars grapple with pressing issues - democracy, development, human rights, identity, legal systems, poverty, religion, social change - confronting two-thirds of humankind while at the same time remaining guardians of specialised knowledge in languages and periods and regions not available anywhere else in the UK.

This makes SOAS synonymous with intellectual enquiry and achievement. It is a global academic base and a crucial resource for London. We live in a world of shrinking borders and of economic and technological simultaneity. Yet it is also a world in which difference and regionalism present themselves acutely. It is a world that SOAS is distinctively positioned to analyse, understand and explain.

SOAS’s academic focus on the languages, cultures and societies of Africa, Asia and the Middle East makes it an indispensable interpreter in a complex world.

 

This institution is available on eLearnAfrica through partnership with FutureLearn.

You may be able to download course materials after enrolling in this course. If not, all of the necessary course materials provided by the course instructor will be available on the provider's course page.
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Effective Date: September 22, 2016