Concept
Zurvanism
Overview
Zurvanism was a fatalistic religious movement of Zoroastrianism in which the divinity Zurvan is a first principle (primordial creator deity) who engendered equal-but-opposite twins, Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu. Zurvanism is also known as "Zurvanite Zoroastrianism", and may be contrasted with Mazdaism.
In Zurvanism, Zurvan was perceived as the god of infinite time and space and also known as "one" or "alone." Zurvan was portrayed as a transcendental and neutral god without passion; one for whom there was no distinction between good and evil. The name Zurvan is a normalized rendition of the word, which in Middle Persian appears as either Zurvān, Zruvān or Zarvān. The Middle Persian name derives from Avestan (Avestan: 𐬰𐬭𐬎𐬎𐬁𐬥, romanized: zruuān, lit. 'time', a grammatically neuter noun).
Scholars have argued that Zurvanism was the official state religion of the Sasanians.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
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1. The part immediately beneath the cranium is called the face in mankind alone, for we do not speak of the face of a fish or of an ox; the part immediately beneath the sinciput and between the eyes is called the forehead. Those in whom this feature is large are tardy; those who have a small forehead are easily excited; a broad forehead belongs to those who are liable to be carried away by their feelings; a round…
Aristotle, Aristotle's History of Animals In Ten Books
States what Zurvanism is; the author is tied to Zurvanism in the knowledge graph.
And this is the reason why, upon a dispute arising, men have recourse to the judge: going to the judge is in fact going to the Just, for the judge is meant to be the personification of the Just.[13] And men seek a judge as one in the mean, which is expressed in a name given by some to judges (μεσίδιοι, or middle-men) under the notion that if they can hit on the mean they shall hit on the Just. The Just is then…
Aristotle, The Nicomachean ethics of Aristotle
States what Zurvanism is; the author is tied to Zurvanism in the knowledge graph.
For in the reward to come a two-fold glory is looked for, spiritual and corporeal, not only in the human body to be glorified, but in the whole world which is to be made new. Now the spiritual glory began with the beginning of the world, in the blessedness of the angels, equality with whom is promised to the saints. It was fitting, then, that even from the beginning, there should be made some beginning of bodily…
Aquinas Thomas, Summa Theologica, Part I
States what Zurvanism is.
Philosophers who discussed Zurvanism
Related ideas
- Medes
- Fire
- Gnosticism
- Grammatical gender
- Shapur I
- Atheism
- Amesha Spenta
- Damascius
- Byzantine Empire
- Avestan
- Denkard
- Parthia
- Monism
- Materialism
- Babylon
- Heresy
- Magi
- Apologetics
- Church of the East
- Aristotle
- Transcendence (religion)
- Water
- Zeus
- Zoroastrianism
Place in the tradition
Part of Dualism in cosmology.