Hintze, Almut

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ALMUT HINTZE

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JOHN R. HINNELLS:
                    Zoroastrian and Parsi studies. Selected works of John R. Hinnells

SOAS Research Online

418 stem zru:n- of Av. zruuuan-), variant zolado as also in zolado go:zogano(NumH 273, zonlado intended in NumH 271?).If my explanation of the PN zonolado is acceptable, zorigo, zorago ‘time,period, age’ comes from *zruwaka- rather than from *zru:naka- as Sims-Williams wants, comparing Sogd. z1wrn'k. As for the meaning note theinteresting contrast between zamano in aso mandaronigo ro:so parso mabarozamano ‘from tomorrow and for all future time’ ms. J17 and zorigo in asomo:so abo iaoie:dano zorigo ‘from now to eternity’, ibid. 20.The work is a philological and linguistic masterpiece. Iranologists willimpatiently await the publication of its second volume. 	 . :Zoroastrian and Parsi studies. Selected works of John R. Hinnells.vii, 430 pp. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2000. £50.The book under review is not just a collection of articles, but a testimony tothirty years of dedicated research and first-rate scholarship, devoted to areligion of great ethical and intellectual appeal, Zoroastrianism, and to anexciting community, the Parsis. The volume comprises eighteen of JohnHinnells' articles, and includes some of his major contributions on theinfluence of Zoroastrianism on Judaism and Christianity, as well as a selectionfrom his ground-breaking work on the history, religion and diaspora of theParsis. The articles are grouped together thematically in six sections. Each ofthe latter is introduced by the author's recent reflections on the subject,written specifically for this book and outlining areas for future research. Thevolume also includes a hitherto unpublished paper on ‘War and medicine inZoroastrianism’ (pp. 277–300), which was delivered as the Second DasturS. H. Kutar Memorial Lecture at SOAS in spring 1999.Section A, ‘Theory and method in Zoroastrian studies’ consists of onearticle entitled ‘Postmodernism and the study of Zoroastrianism’ (pp. 7–25).This is a revealing account of the ‘meta-narrative’ in the work of variousscholars of Zoroastrianism and their more or less conscious move towardspostmodernist approaches.Section B, ‘Zoroastrian influence on biblical imagery’ oers two ofHinnells' crucial articles on the influence of Zoroastrian cosmology on Jewisheschatology. Together with scholars such as Mary Boyce, Shaul Shaked andAndres Hultga˚rd, John Hinnells is one of the most important proponents ofthe idea that Zoroastrianism had a powerful impact on Jewish and Christianeschatology. The first article, entitled ‘Zoroastrian saviour imagery’(pp. 45–72), focuses on the development of cosmic dualism and the conceptof evil, including the devil, demons and hell, and their counterpart, God,angels and heaven. Most of these concepts are found in the Zoroastrian textsright from the beginning, but in Judaism they surface only in theIntertestamental literature and the New Testament, dating roughly fromaround 200 ... to 100 .. Thus there appears to be a time-lag between theearliest historical contacts between Persians and Jews—dating back to thebeginnings of the Achaemenid period in the sixth century ...—on the onehand, and the attestation of apparently Zoroastrian ideas in Jewish texts,which date only from the second century ... and later, on the other.This problem is addressed in the second article entitled ‘Zoroastrian419influence on Judaism and Christianity: some further reflections’ (pp. 73–92),where Hinnells makes a compelling case for a later dating of the period ofinfluence. He argues that it took place during the Parthian period, andconvincingly describes the historical setting which makes such influence—ashe writes—‘not only possible but likely’ (p. 33). For, between 200 ... and100 .., Jews and Zoroastrians were allies fighting against common enemies,first the Seleucids and then the Romans, and Zoroastrianism was a powerfulpresence in the Jewish world.The major part of this book, comprising Sections C, D and E, isappropriately dedicated to the field in which John Hinnells' research is mostinnovative: that of the Parsi communities around the globe. Section C, on‘Parsi history’ includes three articles on the relationship between the Parsisand the British (pp. 101–73), originally published in the 1978 edition of theJournal of the K.R. Cama Oriental Institute, and a fourth one on ‘Socialchange and religious transformation among Bombay Parsis in the earlytwentieth century’ (pp. 175–200).What distinguishes his work from that of his predecessors, such as, forexample, E. Kulke, is that—in his interpretation of attitudes to socialproblems—Hinnells takes religion seriously into account. This is particularlyobvious in the articles collected in Section D entitled ‘Zoroastrianism and theParsis’. For example, in his contribution on ‘Parsi charities in the 19th and20th centuries’ (pp. 209–40) he convincingly demonstrates the religiousfoundations of the ‘Flowering of Zoroastrian benevolence’. Hinnells concludesthat Parsi charities indicate that ‘the ideals of the religion ... have beenimplemented on a scale perhaps unequalled in any other community’ (p. 238).The same approach is also apparent in his important article on‘Contemporary Zoroastrian philosophy’ (pp. 241–75), where he summarizesthe various religious and intellectual movements within the community in thenineteenth and twentieth centuries. In spite of a great diversity of opinionregarding Zoroastrian religious philosophy, he concludes that within theirmoral philosophy there are constant features, which have changed little overthe millennia. These include care for Ahura Mazda's good creation, and anemphasis on truth and honesty, industry and learning. These values andattitudes contributed to the Parsi rise to prosperity and influence in BritishIndia, and continue to characterize the diaspora communities. Hinnells pointsout that ‘[h]owever Zoroastrians may philosophise, what they practice hasremained constant’ (p. 271).Section E includes four articles in Hinnells' current field of research: theParsi diaspora, which is the title of this section. His article on MuncherjiBhownagree (pp. 307–34) throws new light on the second Asian MP atWestminster as a politician and as a Zoroastrian. The last three contributionson ‘The modern Zoroastrian diaspora’ (pp. 335–430) are comparative studiesof Parsi settlements around the globe and investigate the modes of, andmotives for, their emigration. All this work is based on original research andis without precedent both thematically and methodologically. With thesestudies Hinnells outlines a whole new field of research (cf. p. 365), to whichhe is devoting a major book, soon to be published by Oxford University Press.In conclusion, Zoroastrian and Parsi studies is a treasure-trove ofinformation which facilitates our understanding not only of the Zoroastrianreligion, but also of the historical background of Christianity and, especially,of the Zoroastrians themselves. 

Review: Zoroastrian and Parsi Studies. Selected works of John R. Hinnells by John R. Hinnells

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