Religion and Theology

Origin and Development
In the book The Encyclopaedia of Religion, Gnoli has contributed a significant amount of information that defined and described the religion, Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism (Mazdaism) was founded by Zarathustra (Zoroaster) in Iran around 1000 BCE, before Islam became the prevalent religion in the country. It was said that Zoroastrianism came about due to a disjointed society wherein tribes held different views and perspectives in politics, social and cultural life.

Despite the early introduction of Zoroastrianism, the religion has survived the years because it has continually evolved from a traditionalist setting. The religion was able to adapt to the changes in society as it was passed down from one generation and culture to another. Gnoli mentioned that Zoroastrianism became popular not only in Iran but in other communities and countries as well such as the Mongol Empire, Pakistan, India, etc. The influence of the cultures in many countries in which Zoroastrianism was practiced is inevitable, and the differences between cultures mean that influences on the religion also differ.

Due to the continued transformation of Zoroastrianism and passing on different communities and cultures, scholars had anticipated changes or inconsistencies in religious beliefs and practices. In addition, the link between Zoroastrianism and other religions as it was introduced to different places influence the changes in the religion. In order to standardize the religious beliefs and practices in Zoroastrianism, scholars have focused on obtaining significant amount of information from sacred texts as references. Several texts have been discovered but most of the transcripts are incomplete and the number of texts that exist are too many to capture an inclusive narrative about Zoroastrianism.

The existence of Zoroastrian sacred texts may be attributed to the exchange of beliefs, practices, and culture between two different groups of people who observe the doctrines of the religion. Iran and India are now considered as the primary roots of Zoroastrianism. The two cultures exchanged ideas and perspectives about religion, and during the exchange, several sacred texts were written in order to represent the basic foundations of Zoroastrianism, as developed by followers from the primary origin of the religion.

Characteristics
Zoroastrianism preaches monotheism and is based on the solid foundations of dualism. Although in plain sight, monotheism and dualism may seem contradictory, the two concepts are complementary to each other in order to establish a strong foundation for Zoroastrianism. Monotheism stresses that there is only one God, Ahura Mazda who created everything, while dualism represents the extreme or the opposing objectives, concepts, viewpoints, and so on. Dualism is responsible for the belief that the presence of good verifies the presence of evil, happiness or joy versus suffering, and so on.

Although Zoroastrianism primarily endorses monotheism, polytheistic perspectives are applied in order to emphasize the teachings of the religion. For instance, the polytheistic side of Zoroastrianism supports dualism, as several other minor gods represent some concepts that are dualistic in nature. For instance, the daivas or gods, such as Angra Mainyu and Spenta Mainyu, are represented in sacred Zoroastrian texts as evil gods because they made bad decisions that have turned them into wickedness. The representation of dualism within the context of polytheism is parallel to the predicament of an individual in making choices or decisions. In every decision, individuals have to deal with determining which choice is better from two opposites.

Zoroastrianism is also ritualistic in nature. Many practices in the religion involved young tribal warriors who were expected to participate in several rituals including initiation rites (Naojot), animal sacrifices, partaking in food that contained hallucinogens during rituals, and so on. The rituals developed through Zoroastrianism required that followers abide by the rituals. Apart from the practices already mentioned by you, the ritualistic nature of Zoroastrianism is also represented by the number of holidays that the people should celebrate.

One important concept inherent in Zoroastrianism is cosmogony, which is discussed in various sacred texts of the religion. According to Zoroastrian sacred texts, the origin and evolution of the world occurred first during the creation (Bundahishn), and then through the unity between two polar entities (Gumezishn), and the separation of the entities (Wizarishn).

During the Bundahishn, the earth came to be as the Creator, Ahura Mazda, made the elements of nature one by one, such as plants and vegetation, the animals, humans, etc. Furthermore, during the creation of the cosmos, the events that happened within this period were marked by the involvement of individuals who were fervent followers of Zoroastrianism  Gayamaretan and Saoshyant - including Zarathustra. The three individuals are the ones who represent the beginning, middle, and the end.

The Spread and Development of Zoroastrianism
The many differences between the contemporary and conventional practices in Zoroastrianism was diminished through historical development. However, although some of the traditional practices and rituals of Zoroastrianism were neglected or forgotten by contemporary followers (for instance animal sacrifices were considered taboo for some Zoroastrian followers and the concept of dualism was ignored in contemporary Zoroastrian groups), they made sure that current practices still adhere to the ethical perspectives endorsed by the religions founder, Zarathustra. The retention of old practices and rituals in Zoroastrianism and the continued influence of traditional practices and traditions are the primary reasons why the ancient religion has also survived this year.

Apart from the role of continuous endorsement of traditional beliefs and practices to contemporary Zoroastrianism in order to preserve the religion, the connection between the said religion to other religions is also one of the reasons why Zoroastrianism is still known today. Sometimes, individuals utilize Zoroastrian doctrine in order to read, understand, analyze, and interpret other religions. The traditional practices of Zoroastrianism were also preserved due to the involvement of other religions in the process. Gnoli said that some religious groups conduct research studies about Zoroastrianism and then contribute to the creation of various texts and transcripts that represent the totality of Zoroastrianism as a religion.

Until today, Zoroastrianism is still growing as it continues to evolve and adapt contemporary views and practices, especially in socialization. Zoroastrianism is constantly being changed as it is influenced by other culture and religion. For instance, Zoroastrianism now includes teaching about nationalism and loyalty to ones country.

Other efforts to preserve and continue spreading and developing Zoroastrianism is education. Individuals who show great interest in writing and history and in serving for the Zoroastrian belief are requested to undergo learning and training in order to learn the religion fully. At present time, there are many institutions in India that have been developed in order to mentor individuals who are interested to learn and practice Zoroastrianism.