{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.zoroastrianism","code":"thing-q9601","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q9601/","name":"Zoroastrianism","alternateNames":["Zoroastrianism in China","Zoroastrianism in India","Zoroastrianism in Armenia","Zoroastrianism in Azerbaijan","Zoroastrianism in Lebanon","Zoroastrianism in Georgia","Zoroastrianism in Afghanistan","Zoroastrianism in Pakistan","Zoroastrianism in Uzbekistan","Zoroastrianism in the United States","Zoroastrianism in Iran","Mazdayasni Zoroastrianism"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.2","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Information and virtual systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"INF","domain":["INF.KNW"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"One of the oldest continuously practised religions, founded on the teachings of the prophet Zarathustra in ancient Iran, centred on the worship of Ahura Mazda, the ethical struggle between good and evil, and the principles of good thoughts, good words and good deeds, with fire as a symbol of purity, historically the state religion of Persian empires and today practised by communities in Iran, India as the Parsis, and diasporas in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Lebanon, China and elsewhere; it is described here with attribution to Zoroastrian sources and scholars.","purpose":"Let an agent describe Zoroastrianism and its beliefs, practices and communities with attribution, explain its history and influence, support respectful understanding, and identify community and scholarly resources.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Ancient Iranian origin","Ethical dualism","Fire temples","Small global community"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"Beliefs and practices.","layers":[{"id":"beliefs","name":"Beliefs","description":"Core beliefs.","findings":[{"id":"beliefs-finding","name":"Beliefs","description":"Beliefs.","questions":[{"text":"What are the core beliefs of Zoroastrianism about Ahura Mazda, good and evil, and ethical life, as described by Zoroastrian sources and scholars?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation respectful and attributed, avoiding the fire worship mischaracterisation?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"practices","name":"Practices","description":"Practices and rituals.","findings":[{"id":"practices-finding","name":"Practices","description":"Practices.","questions":[{"text":"What are Zoroastrian rituals, festivals, fire temples and life cycle rites?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits a specific practice?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"communities","name":"Communities","description":"Communities today.","layers":[{"id":"where","name":"Where","description":"Where Zoroastrians live.","findings":[{"id":"where-finding","name":"Where","description":"Communities.","questions":[{"text":"Where do Zoroastrian communities live today, including Iran, the Parsis of India and diasporas in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Lebanon and China, and what are their sizes?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits a specific community?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"issues","name":"Issues","description":"Contemporary issues.","findings":[{"id":"issues-finding","name":"Issues","description":"Issues.","questions":[{"text":"What issues such as demographic decline, conversion debates and minority status do communities discuss, with positions attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation neutral?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"History and influence.","layers":[{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"History.","findings":[{"id":"history-finding","name":"History","description":"History.","questions":[{"text":"How did Zoroastrianism develop from Zarathustra through the Persian empires to the Islamic conquest and migration to India, according to historians?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"influence","name":"Influence","description":"Influence on other traditions.","findings":[{"id":"influence-finding","name":"Influence","description":"Influence.","questions":[{"text":"What influences on other religions do scholars debate, with positions attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which findings are contested?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"learn","name":"Learn","description":"Texts and teaching.","layers":[{"id":"texts","name":"Texts","description":"Sacred texts.","findings":[{"id":"texts-finding","name":"Texts","description":"Texts.","questions":[{"text":"What are the Avesta and other texts, and how are they studied?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits the Avesta?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"teach","name":"Teach","description":"Teaching.","findings":[{"id":"teach-finding","name":"Teach","description":"Teaching.","questions":[{"text":"How can Zoroastrianism be taught respectfully in religious studies?","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which misconceptions arise?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Describe Zoroastrian beliefs and history from Zoroastrian and scholarly sources.","Explain its festivals and practices respectfully.","Point to community organisations."],"mustNot":["Misrepresent the faith or mock its practices.","Present scholarly disputes as settled.","Disrespect sacred fire or funeral practices.","Present itself as speaking for the community."],"requiresHuman":["Publishing material on sacred rituals."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Zoroastrian communities are small and historically persecuted.","Sacred practices deserve respect."],"affectedParties":["Zoroastrians","Parsis and Iranis","Scholars"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody owns it; Zoroastrian communities keep their traditions.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q5310255","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"dualistic cosmology","type":"related","note":"category"},{"target":"Abrahamic religion","type":"related","note":"traditions with debated influences"},{"target":"flame","type":"related","note":"fire as a religious symbol"},{"target":"metempsychosis","type":"related","note":"another belief entry"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.zoroastrianism","Wikidata: Q9601 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9601)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":[]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Worship of Ahura Mazda, teachings of Zarathustra","Fire as symbol","Manichaeism and Mithraism are distinct traditions","Not physical; a religion with fire temples and rituals."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["describe beliefs and practices with attribution","explain history and influence","support respectful understanding","identify resources"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Mischaracterising the religion as fire worship","Disrespectful presentation","Outdated community figures"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Community religious authorities","Minority religion protections in Iran and India","Heritage protection for fire temples and sites"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["An ancient Iranian religion.","Zoroastrians in Iran","Parsis of India","diaspora communities in the Caucasus, Middle East and elsewhere","historical Zoroastrianism of the Persian empires","modern revival movements"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q9601: Zoroastrianism","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9601","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Zoroastrianism","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should each community be a separate entry?","How should scholarly sources be linked?","How should heritage sites be linked?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q9601/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q9601/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-12T01:42:35Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:52:03+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Plane INF: no invented physical properties."},"score":1.0}}