Main content

What is Zoroastrianism?

One of the oldest monotheistic creeds explained. With Rajan Datar, Dr. Sarah Stewart, Malcolm Deboo and Prof. Yuhan Vevaina.

It is a religion that has lasted three millennia, claims to be the world's first monotheistic creed and to have influenced major faiths such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam, inspired artists from Voltaire to Freddie Mercury but Zoroastrianism may be heading for extinction: in some communities only children of male Zoroastrians are admitted to the faith and there are probably fewer than 200 thousand left now.

Rajan Datar talks about the history of Zoroastrianism with Dr. Sarah Stewart, Shapoorji Pallonji Lecturer in Zoroastrianism at SOAS, University of London,
Malcolm Deboo, President of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe, the oldest Zoroastrian organisation on the continent,
and Yuhan Vevaina, professor of Sasanian Studies at Oxford University.

Photo: Faravahar - relief of winged sun symbol of Zoroastrianism in Persepolis city, Iran. (Getty Images)

Available now

41 minutes

Last on

Tue 17 Apr 2018 23:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 14 Apr 2018 19:06GMT
  • Tue 17 Apr 2018 08:06GMT
  • Tue 17 Apr 2018 17:06GMT
  • Tue 17 Apr 2018 23:06GMT

Featured in...

Do you think political or business leaders need to be charismatic? Or do you prefer highly competent but somewhat stern people?

Do you think political or business leaders need to be charismatic? Or do you prefer highly competent but somewhat stern people?

We鈥檇 love to hear your views on charm and charisma for a future Forum.

Podcast