Metaphorizing the metaphors: The development of the Zoroastrian language of eschatology (A04)

• Subject Area: Islamic Studies, Arabian Studies, Semitic Studies
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 441126958

Focusing on Zoroastrian eschatology, this project asks, to what extent the construction of reli-gious meaning relies on the transformation of existing metaphors rather than the production of entirely new ones. By doing so, it will make a fundamental contribution to the ongoing debate on the development of eschatological ideas in Zoroastrianism and the history of other Eurasian reli-gions, particularly, to the discussion on the absorption of Zoroastrian eschatological ideas in Jewish, Christian, or Islamic traditions. To that end, the project will investigate five historical lay-ers of Zoroastrian literature from 12th cent. BCE to 17th cent. AD.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1475: Metaphors of Religion. Religious Meaning-Making in Language Use
• Applicant Institution: Ruhr-Universität Bochum
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Kianoosh Rezania