| Blog Home | Iranocatholic Mithraism |
|
IRANOCATHOLIC MITHRAISM By 'Iranic Mithraism' we mean a Mithraism focussed on the heritage of the Iranian cultural area which might include modern Iran, Kurdistan, Armenia and Turkey. This is in contrast to the sister project of Western Mithraism which has a European focus. The word 'catholic' means 'universal' and by 'Catholic Mithraism' we mean a religion that is: i) concerned with the whole of life, with the battle between good and evil, and which considers Mithra having a central role in this. ii) cosmopolitan in spirit Iranocatholic Mithraism contrasts with Iranopagan Mithraism which may give a narrower role to Mithra and have a stronger Iranic ethnic or identitarian character. We consider that the Zoroastrian religious tradition is the main foundation for Iranocatholic Mithraism, but that this will be extended by the heritage of the ancient Greek philosophers and the Iranian Sufis. The trinity of Zurvan, Mazda and Mithra has been suggested as the foundational expression of what God is in Iranocatholic Mithraism. |