Zarathustra A Historical Novel Betty Clark 9781456568870 Books
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Zarathustra was a brave prophet who lived in Persia around 800 BCE. In search of converts, he freqently traversed the Persian steppes in winter and climbed ancient Persia's and Azerbaijan's highest mountains. He ascended to paradise and met God, whom he knew as Ahura Mazda. In a culture of polytheism, his belief in One God compelled him to dedicate his life to overcoming the forces of darkness, creating a new religion, now known as Zoroastrianism. This is an exciting, inspiring story set in a forgotten but fascinating era. It is the story of Zarathustra, his beautiful and loyal wives, and his patron, the good King Vishtaspa.
Zarathustra A Historical Novel Betty Clark 9781456568870 Books
This historical novel provides a valuable introduction to the life and ideas of the ancient Persian prophet Zarathustra, whose religion ― now known as Zoroastrianism ― is a precursor to the great monotheistic religions. In straightforward contemporary style, the book brings to life and modernizes the ancient Zarathustrian myths and legends. The author has a gift for imagined detail; the story is richly told from the perspective of the major actors, including Zarathustra, his two wives, and corrupt priests of the pagan religion Zarathustra seeks to displace. At the same time, the historical details of Zarathustra’s life are impressively informed by research from scholarly sources, which provide a solid foundation for the author’s vivid recreation of the ancient legends.The book presents Zoraoastrianism as consistent with Judaism and Christianity. Zarathustra, the book teaches, was the prophet of a single God, Ahura Mazda, who is nevertheless also manifested by archangels and other spirits. Ahura Mazda is in constant struggle with Ahriman, who, the book shows, is essentially the manifestation of the evil choices made by free people. As in Judaism and Christianity, Ahura Mazda allows Ahriman to exist to enable humans ultimately to choose freely the moral and ethical way and consciously reject corruption and immorality.
What is unique about the book is that it presents all of these historical ideas and legends through the prism of modern psychology. For example, the book depicts corrupt priests from groups known as the Kavi and Karpan, who are controlled by demons and enjoy creating discord to advance the work of Ahriman. The book suggests that these legendary demons personify the forces of negativity with which modern humans also struggle. Thus, the author recounts the legend of how Zarathustra’s mother, Dughdhova, acquired a halo at birth through supernatural intervention. She imagines the words of a demon speaking inside the mind of a Kavi priest, directing him to gain the trust of Dughdhova’s father to turn him against her. The book imagines these demonic words as an inner psychic voice, with overtones of timeless family tension, to which modern readers can relate. The book also richly explores the themes of sexual jealousy and polygamy, imagining the relationships among Zarathustra and his two wives, Uvij and Anij.
The book’s climactic event is the conversion of King Vishtapaya of Balkh from paganism to the worship of Ahura Mazda, which results from a debate at the king’s palace between Zarathustra and a priest of Ahriman over the merits of paganism versus the worship of a moral god. The book presents the events at the king’s palace as the embodiment of the ultimate battle between chaos, destructiveness and the mere satisfaction of appetite, against the humanistic embrace of a more fulfilling, spiritual realm. Zarathustra’s death at the hands of a long-time foe, a demon-worshipper, presents a final question ― whether war between mortals is ever justified.
“Zarathustra: A Historical Novel” is important because, by imagining the ancient Zoroastrian legends through the prism of modern psychology, it succeeds in stimulating our modern imagination of the ethical principles underlying all monotheistic religions.
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Zarathustra A Historical Novel Betty Clark 9781456568870 Books Reviews
This historical novel provides a valuable introduction to the life and ideas of the ancient Persian prophet Zarathustra, whose religion ― now known as Zoroastrianism ― is a precursor to the great monotheistic religions. In straightforward contemporary style, the book brings to life and modernizes the ancient Zarathustrian myths and legends. The author has a gift for imagined detail; the story is richly told from the perspective of the major actors, including Zarathustra, his two wives, and corrupt priests of the pagan religion Zarathustra seeks to displace. At the same time, the historical details of Zarathustra’s life are impressively informed by research from scholarly sources, which provide a solid foundation for the author’s vivid recreation of the ancient legends.
The book presents Zoraoastrianism as consistent with Judaism and Christianity. Zarathustra, the book teaches, was the prophet of a single God, Ahura Mazda, who is nevertheless also manifested by archangels and other spirits. Ahura Mazda is in constant struggle with Ahriman, who, the book shows, is essentially the manifestation of the evil choices made by free people. As in Judaism and Christianity, Ahura Mazda allows Ahriman to exist to enable humans ultimately to choose freely the moral and ethical way and consciously reject corruption and immorality.
What is unique about the book is that it presents all of these historical ideas and legends through the prism of modern psychology. For example, the book depicts corrupt priests from groups known as the Kavi and Karpan, who are controlled by demons and enjoy creating discord to advance the work of Ahriman. The book suggests that these legendary demons personify the forces of negativity with which modern humans also struggle. Thus, the author recounts the legend of how Zarathustra’s mother, Dughdhova, acquired a halo at birth through supernatural intervention. She imagines the words of a demon speaking inside the mind of a Kavi priest, directing him to gain the trust of Dughdhova’s father to turn him against her. The book imagines these demonic words as an inner psychic voice, with overtones of timeless family tension, to which modern readers can relate. The book also richly explores the themes of sexual jealousy and polygamy, imagining the relationships among Zarathustra and his two wives, Uvij and Anij.
The book’s climactic event is the conversion of King Vishtapaya of Balkh from paganism to the worship of Ahura Mazda, which results from a debate at the king’s palace between Zarathustra and a priest of Ahriman over the merits of paganism versus the worship of a moral god. The book presents the events at the king’s palace as the embodiment of the ultimate battle between chaos, destructiveness and the mere satisfaction of appetite, against the humanistic embrace of a more fulfilling, spiritual realm. Zarathustra’s death at the hands of a long-time foe, a demon-worshipper, presents a final question ― whether war between mortals is ever justified.
“Zarathustra A Historical Novel” is important because, by imagining the ancient Zoroastrian legends through the prism of modern psychology, it succeeds in stimulating our modern imagination of the ethical principles underlying all monotheistic religions.
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