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Single Idea 7472

[filed under theme 29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 3. Zoroastrianism ]

Full Idea

Zarathustra's achievement was for the first time to present a god who is an abstract concept - he broke with the tradition of a pantheon of gods.

Gist of Idea

Zarathustra was the first to present a god who is an abstract concept

Source

Zoroaster (The Gathas (seventeen hymns) [c.900 BCE]), quoted by Peter Watson - Ideas Ch.05

Book Ref

Watson,Peter: 'Ideas: from fire to Freud' [Phoenix 2006], p.153

A Reaction

The more abstract the gods become, the harder it is to challenge their existence.

The 5 ideas with the same theme [ancient Persian, with one god, and Zoroaster as prophet]:

7472 Zarathustra was the first to present a god who is an abstract concept [Zoroaster]
20672 Zoroastrianism saw the world as a battle between good evil gods [Zoroaster, by Harari]
7347 Zoroastrians believed in one eternal beneficent being, Creator through the holy spirit [Johnson,P]
7471 The Gathas (hymns) of Zoroastrianism date from about 1000 BCE [Watson]
7473 Zoroaster conceived the afterlife, judgement, heaven and hell, and the devil [Watson]