RELIGIOUS HISTORY OF IRAN AND CENTRAL ASIA

The course contributes to the attainment of the teaching goals of the "Vicino e Medio Oriente " curriculum of the Corso di Laurea in "Lingue, Culture e Società dell'Asia e dell'Africa Mediterranea" in the area of historico-religious and cultural skills.
The main goals of the course are: to provide a general overview of the history of the main religions characterizing Iran and Central Asian states. Subsequently the basic events characterizing the history of Zoroastrianism (Mazdaism, Zurvanism), the Manicheism, the Iranian Christianism, others religious forms (Buddhism and others Indian religious influences), heresies of Islam during Ist-IIIrd century of Islamic Age will be analyzed.

At the end of this course, the students will be able to contextualize from the historical point of view the main developments of the religious history of the Iranian region, in relation to the experiences that have characterized it to a greater extent (Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam of the origins) interest in the autonomy of the times.

Specific qualifications are not requested.

The program is the following:
1 - the Zoroastrism: the sources
2 - the Zoroastrism: history of the studies
3 - the Zoroastrian "pantheon"
4 - historical development of the Zoroastrianism
5 - the Mazdeaism duroing the Sasanian age
6 - the Mazdean eschatology (according to Bundahishn and Wizedagiha i Zadspram)
7 - the Zurvanism
8 - the Gnostic religious doctrines and the Manichean religion
9 - the Mithraism
10 - survey on the history of the Manichaean religion in Iran and Central Asia
11 - Christianism and Buddhism
12 - the Islam in Iran from th 1st to the 3rd century of the Islamic Age

Mandatory texts:

J. ROSE, Zoroastrianism: an Introduction. I.B.Tauris 2011.
A. PIRAS, Il manicheismo. La Scuola, 2015.

Non-mandatory texts:

J. WIESEHOEFER, La Persia antica, Il Mulino (978-88-15-09031-7).

Articles and photocopies will be indicated during the course.

The exham will consist in an oral test (at least three open questions) focused on the texts assigned by the teacher.

Conventional didactic method (frontal lessons).

Italian

oral