SSZ To Hold Online Conference On Zoroastrian Religion

The Society of Scholars of Zoroastrianism (SSZ) is an initiative to promote the study and scholarship of the Religion of Zarathushtra. The mission of the Society is to revive the tradition of scholarship within our community among athornans and behdins alike, and to promote interaction among academicians, theologians (priests), educationists, lay scholars and practitioners of Zoroastrianism, through roundtable discussions, conferences and publications.

The 2022 Society of Scholars of Zoroastrianism Conference will be held on 19th November, 2022, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm CST (9:00 pm to midnight, IST). Zal Taleyarkhan will open the conference, introducing the first speaker – Prof. Dan Sheffield, Assistant Professor in the Department of Near Eastern Studies – Princeton University, where he specializes in the religious, intellectual, and social history of the medieval and early modern Persian-speaking world. He holds a Ph.D, in Iranian and Persian Studies from Harvard University (2012.)

The next speaker, Dr. Kerman Dadi Daruwalla will speak on ‘The History of Zoroastrian Priests in India’. Mumbai-based Dr. Daruwalla holds a PhD (2021) from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London and has co-authored the book, ‘The Gujarati Ritual Directions of the Paragnä, Yasna and Visperad Ceremonies’. He is the Consultant for the proposed TISS-Parzor academic programme on Parsi Zoroastrian Culture and Heritage.

This will be followed by a talk on ‘Zoroastrian Middle Persian Literature And Its Relation To The Avesta: Current Research Perspectives’ by Dr. Benedikt Peschl, whose research interests concern the philology of old and middle Iranian languages, with a focus in the field of Zoroastrian Studies. He is currently working on the Zand literature (Middle Persian annotated translation of the Avesta). The conference will conclude with Prof. Sheffield speaking on ‘The Pahlavi Book Of Religious Decrees: A Forgotten Source For The History Of Medieval Zoroastrianism’.

SSZ Conferences have been held since 2006, when noted scholars and students present their research papers. To encourage Zoroastrian studies within the community, SSZ conferences also include sessions delivered by community members, especially the next-generation. Persons / Associations interested in the mission and vision of the Society of Scholars of Zoroastrianism, are invited to host future Conferences in their areas. The organizers enjoy complete autonomy in regard to programming and organizing the Conference.

All community members, students and scholars are invited and encouraged to participate. For details, Link:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-society-of-scholars-of-zoroastrianism-conference-tickets-444332138387?aff=ebdssbdestsearch