54
FILOLOGIA, RELIGIONI E STORIA DELL'IRAN
Dati Generali
Periodo di attività
Syllabus
Obiettivi Formativi
Ability to Apply Knowledge and Understanding
1) Critically interpret historical and religious sources related to Zoroastrianism in their social, political, and theological contexts
Students will be able to analyze primary and secondary sources to reconstruct the historical development of Zoroastrian thought and practice, applying contextual knowledge of ancient and modern Iran, colonial India, and diaspora settings.
2) Compare and assess the impact of major historical transitions (e.g., Islamic conquest, colonialism, modernization) on minority religious communities
Students will develop the capacity to apply historical models and theoretical frameworks to understand how Zoroastrian communities adapted to changing regimes and social pressures, and how these adaptations shaped religious identity and practice.
3) Evaluate contemporary religious and cultural dynamics through the lens of Zoroastrian case studies
Students will be able to apply insights from the Zoroastrian experience to broader discussions on religious continuity, diaspora identity, and the negotiation of tradition in modern and post-revolutionary societies, with particular attention to minority-majority relations.
Additional Expected Learning Outcomes
Independent Judgment
Students will develop the critical ability to assess historical, religious, and cultural developments related to Zoroastrianism across different periods and regions. They will learn to interpret a wide range of scholarly perspectives and apply independent reasoning to debates concerning religious continuity, reform, and identity in minority communities.
Communication Skills
Students will acquire the necessary academic vocabulary to articulate complex historical and religious phenomena, particularly in relation to Zoroastrian belief systems, communal structures, and cross-cultural interactions. They will be able to present their analyses both orally and in writing with clarity and academic rigor.
Learning Skills
Students will become familiar with the main scholarly tools and resources—such as primary textual sources (in translation), historical case studies, and secondary literature—required for the critical study of Zoroastrianism. They will also learn to navigate interdisciplinary materials in religious studies, history, and cultural studies, thereby fostering autonomous and sustained learning.
Prerequisiti
The teacher will evaluate the participants’ background knowledge in the early sessions and may suggest concise, tailored readings.
Metodi didattici
Lectures supported by handouts and visual materials.
Verifica Apprendimento
For the exam, the following is required:
1) Study of the Core Bibliography
Students are expected to study the main course bibliography, including both required readings and selected supplementary materials. Familiarity with key scholarly debates, historical developments, and theoretical frameworks discussed in the readings will be assessed through targeted questions in the oral or written component of the exam.
2) Research Paper
Each student is required to submit a research paper (between 2,000 and 2,500 words) on a topic related to the historical, theological, or sociocultural aspects of Zoroastrianism, to be agreed upon with the instructor. The paper must demonstrate critical engagement with both primary sources (in translation) and relevant secondary literature. Proper academic referencing and a clear structure (introduction, argument, conclusion) are essential.
3) Ability to Integrate Themes from Lectures and Readings
During the exam, students must demonstrate the ability to synthesize information presented in lectures, seminars, and readings. This includes the capacity to contextualize historical events, articulate the evolution of Zoroastrian thought and practice across time and space, and critically discuss broader themes such as religious reform, diaspora identity, and the impact of modernity on religious minorities.
Assessment Criteria:
The final assessment will be based on the student’s ability to demonstrate a solid and critical understanding of the historical, religious, and cultural developments of Zoroastrianism from antiquity to the present. Particular attention will be given to the clarity and coherence with which the student is able to articulate key concepts, themes, and transformations across different geographical and chronological contexts.
The oral exam will evaluate the student’s capacity to synthesize insights from lectures, discussions, and the assigned bibliography, as well as to reflect independently on broader themes such as religious identity, continuity and reform, diaspora dynamics, and the impact of political change on minority traditions.
The written paper should demonstrate independent research and critical engagement with both primary sources (in translation) and relevant scholarly literature. The paper must be methodologically sound, clearly argued, and properly referenced according to academic standards.
Active participation during the course—through informed contributions and consistent preparation—will also be taken into consideration in the overall evaluation, as it reflects the student’s ongoing engagement with the material and their capacity to interact critically with complex historical and religious content.
Testi
From Zoroaster to Islam:
M. Boyce, A Persian Stronghold of Zoroastrianism. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977.
M. Boyce, Zoroastrians. Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. London/New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1979, chaps. 10–13, pp.145–215.
M. Boyce, Zoroastrianism. Its Antiquity and Constant Vigour. Costa Mesa: Mazda Publishers, 1992, chap.8, pp.149–162.
J. Choksy, Conflict and cooperation : Zoroastrian subalterns and Muslim elites in medieval Iranian society. New York : Columbia UP, 1997.
R.N. Frye, The Golden Age of Persia: the Arabs in the East. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1975, repr. 1988, chs. 4–8.
A. Panaino, Zoroastrismo. Storia, temi, attualità. Brescia: Morcelliana, 2016.
The Parsis: The Formation of the Community in India and the Diaspora:
M. Boyce, Zoroastrians. Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. London/New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1979, chap. 14 (“In the twentieth century”), pp.216-227.
J.R. Hinnells, “Parsis and the British”. In: Journal of the K.R. Cama Oriental Institute 46, 1978, 1–92 (Government Fellowship Lectures).
J.R. Hinnells, Zoroastrianism and the Parsis, 1981, 9–27 (esp. 23–27) and 65–70.
J.R. Hinnells, “Contemporary Zoroastrian Philosophy”. In: B. Carr/I. Mahalingam, Companion Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy. London/New York: Routledge, 1996, 64–92.
J.R. Hinnells, “Parsi attitudes to religious pluralism”. In: H. Coward (ed.), Modern Indian Responses to Religious Pluralism. New York: State University of New York Press, 1987, 195–233.
J.R. Hinnells, “The flowering of Zoroastrian benevolence: Parsi charities in the 19th and 20th centuries”. In: Papers in Honour of Professor Mary Boyce. Acta Iranica 24, vol.1, Leiden: Brill, 1985, 261–326 (reprinted in: Zoroastrian and Parsi Studies. Selected Works of John R. Hinnells. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2000, pp. 209–240).
J.R. Hinnels, The Zoroastrian Diaspora: Religion and Migration. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
R. Writer, Contemporary Zoroastrians. An Unstructured Nation. 1994.
Zoroastrian Identity and Practice in Contemporary Iran:
Sanasarian, E. (2006), Religious Minorities in Iran, Cambridge Middle East Series 13, Cambridge/New York (first published 2000).
Stausberg, M (2015), ‘Zoroastrians in Modern Iran’, in M. Stausberg and Y.S.D. Vevaina, eds, The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Zoroastrianism, Chichester, pp. 173–90.
Stewart, S. (2016), ‘Ideas of Self-Definition among Zoroastrians in Post-Revolutionary Iran’, in A.V.Williams, S. Stewart and A. Hintze, eds, The Zoroastrian Flame: Exploring Religion, History and Tradition, London, pp. 353–70.
Stewart Sarah, in collaboration with Mandana Moavenat (2018, 2020), Voices from Zoroastrian Iran. Vol.1: Urban Centres, Vol. 2: Urban and Rural Centres – Yazd and Outlying Villages. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag.
Additional bibliography and handouts will be provided during the course.
Contenuti
This course explores the historical development of Zoroastrianism from the first century BCE to the present day, tracing its evolution across Iran, India, and the Western diaspora. Emphasis is placed on the religion’s foundational beliefs, its early influence in pre-Islamic Iran, and its transformation over time in response to major political and social changes.
In the first part of the course, students will study the origins of Zoroastrianism, its theological innovations, and its role in shaping imperial ideology and social structure in ancient Iran. The course then examines the impact of the Islamic conquest, the decline of Zoroastrian political influence, and the gradual conversion of many adherents to Islam. Attention will be given to the survival of Zoroastrian communities under Islamic rule and the strategies they developed to preserve their religious identity.
The second part focuses on the Zoroastrian diaspora in India and the challenges faced by the Parsi community in colonial and postcolonial contexts. We will explore encounters with Christian missionaries, responses to Western religious and philosophical movements, and internal reform efforts that reshaped religious practice and communal identity.
The course also addresses the role of socio-economic and educational reforms in strengthening the community, particularly during the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the growing integration of Zoroastrians into modern political and economic structures.
Finally, we consider the profound impact of the 1979 Islamic Revolution on the Zoroastrian minority in Iran, and the broader effects of modernization and migration on religious traditions and community life over the past century. Throughout the course, students will assess how Zoroastrianism has adapted to shifting historical landscapes while maintaining a distinct religious and cultural identity.
1) The Origins of Zoroastrianism
2) Zarathustra (Zoroaster): figure, teachings, and myth
3) The Avesta: textual traditions and transmission
4) Theological and Cosmological Concepts
5) Time, eschatology, and the afterlife
6) Fire and purity in Zoroastrian ritual practice
7) Zoroastrianism and the Iranian empires
8) Royal ideology and religious tolerance
9) The Islamic Conquest and Its Aftermath
10) Social and legal status of Zoroastrians under Muslim rule
11) Patterns of conversion and resistance
12) Survival strategies and the preservation of identity
13) .Zoroastrian Diaspora and the Parsi Community in India
14) Historical accounts and oral traditions
15) Settlement in Gujarat and legal/social status under Indian rulers
16) Zoroastrianism under Colonial Rule
17) Encounter with Christian missionaries and Western education
18) Internal reform movements and the construction of Parsi identity
19) Responses to Orientalist scholarship and Theosophy
20) Community Institutions and Social Reform
21) The rise of Parsi philanthropy and entrepreneurship
22) Educational and social initiatives in colonial and post-colonial India
23) Role of Parsi elites in shaping modern Indian society
24) Zoroastrians in 19th- and 20th-Century Iran
25) Missionary contact and community support from India
26) Reforms and revitalization in the Qajar and Pahlavi periods
27) Legal and social status of Zoroastrians in modern Iran
28) The Islamic Revolution and Its Consequences
29) Migration and changing demographics of Iranian Zoroastrians
30) Communities in North America, Europe, and beyond
31) Challenges of intermarriage, secularism, and youth disengagement
32) Contemporary Issues and Future Prospects
33) Debates on religious authority and orthodoxy
Lingua Insegnamento
English
Altre informazioni
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