Today it is Iran’s association with Islam that commands discussion and debate. But this perception obscures a far more influential and complex relationship with religion. Iran has in fact played an unparalleled role in shaping all the world religions, injecting Iranian ideas into the Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim traditions.

This vivid and surprising work explores the manner in which Persian culture has interacted with and transformed each world faith, from the migration of the Israelites to Iran thousands of years ago, to the influence of Iranian notions on Mahayana Buddhism and Christianity. Travelling through thousands of years of history, Foltz’s powerful and evocative journey uncovers a vital and fresh account of our spiritual heritage in this fascinating region.

RICHARD FOLTZ is Professor of Iranian Studies at Concordia University and is the founding director of Concordia’s Centre for Iranian Studies Programme. His books, Spirituality in the Land of the Noble: How Iran Shaped the World’s Religions and Religions of the Silk Road: Premodern Patterns of Globalization, propose historical models for considering the emergence, development, and transmission of the world’s major religious traditions, emphasizing the contributions of Iranian civilization to world history.