What is Zoroastrian Esotericism? Towards an Ontological Approach

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Main author: Errichiello, Mariano
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-42489
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
topic B Philosophy (General)
BL Religions. Mythology. Rationalism
BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc
DS Asia
GN Anthropology
HM Sociology
PI Oriental languages and literatures
description Between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, different interpretations of Zoroastrianism began to emerge among the Parsis of India. Some of these interpretations were based on ideas that Parsis defined as “esoteric.” This article examines the participation of Parsis in Freemasonry, the Theosophical Society, and Ilme Kṣnum (“Science of Bliss”) in modern India. The analysis of primary and secondary sources, combined with the examination of ethnographic data, leads to a definition of “Parsi esotericism” as a heuristic category. This proposal is in discontinuity with the deductive approach that has characterised the study of esotericism in Zoroastrianism and has been largely inspired by a Western conceptualisation of esotericism.
author_additional Errichiello, Mariano
author_additionalStr Errichiello, Mariano
format Journal Article
author Errichiello, Mariano
author_facet Errichiello, Mariano
authorStr Errichiello, Mariano
author_letter Errichiello, Mariano
title What is Zoroastrian Esotericism? Towards an Ontological Approach
publisher Fondazione Giorgio Cini
publishDate 2024
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/42489/

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