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Situated at the crossroads between East and West, it has been marked by its encounters with other cultures and has influenced them with its own.

Home of one of the world's most ancient and enduring civilizations, Iran has been at the nexus of world history for the past three thousand years. In this book, Richard Foltz traces the spread of. From paradise gardens and Persian carpets to the mystical poetry of Rumi and Hafez, Iran's contributions have earned it a place among history's most refined and sophisticated societies. (Mar.Home of one of the world's most ancient and enduring civilizations, Iran has been at the nexus of world history for the past three thousand years.

Although Foltz uncovers no new information, his straightforward history provides useful insights into the foundations of many of the world's religions. Although Iranian religion has famously influenced Christianity-particularly in the development of cosmic dualism-Foltz demonstrates that it has also shaped Islam, Buddhism, Manichaean Gnosticism, Judaism and the Baha'i faith. Foltz devotes a chapter to the major world religions that have passed through, and in some cases still exist, in Iran. As Foltz points out, Zoroastrianism developed a dualistic system of cosmic good and evil, a belief in personal resurrection, angelology and demonology, and eschatological notions about cosmic battles between the forces of light (good) and darkness (evil). As Iranian religion evolved, Zoroastrianism-which developed as the major religion of Iran sometime between 1200 and 600 BCE-introduced the notion of a creator deity, Ahura Mazda, and its prophet, Zoroaster (or Zarathustra), who wrote down Ahura Mazda's words in the Avesta, or scriptures. Ancient Iranian religion attributes the creation of the universe to cosmic forces. In this helpful survey, historian of religion Foltz traces the history of religion in Iran and observes the ways that many faiths have incorporated many of its beliefs and practices. Since ancient times, Iranian religion has deeply influenced a number of the world's faith traditions, especially Christianity and late Judaism.