Blog Home Zartochrestianism Overview - September 4019

ABOUT ZARTOCHRESTIANISM
A form of Zoroastrian Gnostic Christianity.

CHALIPA CROSS
The Chalipa Cross in a circle with often a small superimposed firepot in centre is the symbol of Zartochrestianism.

DIVINE TRIAD
We picture God as a threesome - Protarche, Mazda and Chrestum.

PROTARCHE
Protarche is the first source and God Transcendent. He is the incorruptible heavenly source of all that underlies our existence. He includes Zurvan (time) , Helius (divine sun) and the Pleroma (realm of divine forms).

MAZDA
Mazda is the Wise One. She is the creator of all things.

CHRESTUM
Chrestum is the Good One. Chrestum or the Christ works through individual human beings - some more than others. Those who most represent the Christ we venerate as saints.

ARCHANGEL SOPHIA

Sophia is Lady Wisdom, and the Archangel (Chief Messenger) of Mazda (Divine Wisdom).

ARCHANGEL MITHRAS

Mithras is the Archangel of Chrestum - the divinely appointed ruler of the angels and saints. He is the intermediary between God and Man, and fights against Satan.


THE MOST VENERATED SAINTS

ZARTUS RECTUS
Zartus Rectus (Zarathustra the Righteous) is the Philosopher Saint - the one who who has knowledge of the cosmos and can discern the best ethical world-view and give to us the best religion. Zartus is the foremost teacher of Mazda and Chrestus.

JESUS GNOSTICUS
Jesus Gnosticus is the Knowing Saint. Jesus Gnosticus understands existence with his mind and soul.
Jesus is also the Compassionate Saint - the one who sees our real human nature and needs and gives this the highest value regardless of human-manufactured regulations and understandings which contradict it.
Zartochrestians see Jesus' voluntary suffering on the cross as a sign of his compassion. We don't believe that the historic person of Jesus can be considered a scapegoat for all the sins of the world. Rather his action was a demonstration of how the eternal Chrestus takes on the burden of counteracting the sins of the fallible.

FIVE OTHER SAINTS
Currently we suggest a further five saints to make up the Saintly Heptad.These are Cyrus Rex (King Cyrus), Maria Incorrupta (Mary the Pure and Protector), Magdalena (gnostic companion of Jesus), Georgius Fortis (St.George the Brave) and Franciscus (St.Francis).

THE THREE MAGI

The three magi or wise men given pride of place by Zartochrestians are:

1. ZOROASTER (circa 1000 BC)
2. PLATO (circa 400 BC)
3. PLOTINUS (circa 200 AD)

The writings of these masters can be used as a foundation for the study of Zartoplatonism - the principle philosophical tradition studied by Zartochrestians.

RELIGIOUS SCRIPTURE

We have four strands of religious scriptures:
1. The Persian Scriptures of the Avesta and later Zoroastrian texts. For gnostics the Gathas Zarti (Songs of Zoroaster) and the Bundahishn (Creation) are especially important.
2. The Jesus Scriptures are selected from the Judeochristian New Testament and Gnostic texts of the same era.
3. Spiritual Scriptures are additional writings that shape our spiritual character. There is no agreement on what is included but the writings of Inayat Khan are a recommendation.
4. New Scriptures - there are modern writings of Zartochrestians - which have largely not been written yet.

Updated September 4019 ME