Robert Charles Zaehner facts for kids

R. C. Zaehner (1972)

Robert Charles Zaehner (1913–1974) was a British scholar who studied religions from the East. He was very good at languages. He could understand the original texts of many religions. These included Hindu (Sanskrit), Buddhist (Pali), and Islamic (Arabic) writings.

At Oxford University, he first wrote about the Zoroastrian religion. During World War II, he worked as an intelligence officer in Iran. In 1952, he became a special professor at Oxford. His books covered topics like mystical experiences, Hinduism, and comparing different religions. He also wrote about Christianity and other religions and ethics. He translated the Bhagavad-Gita, an important Hindu text. Later, he talked about these topics on the BBC. He published his works as R. C. Zaehner.

Life and Work
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Life and Work

Growing Up and Learning

Robert Charles Zaehner was born on April 8, 1913, in Sevenoaks, England. His parents were immigrants from Switzerland and Germany. From a young age, he spoke both French and English. He was a talented linguist throughout his life.

He went to Tonbridge School and then to Christ Church, Oxford. There, he studied Greek and Latin. During this time, he had a powerful personal experience. It was a mystical feeling, but it wasn't linked to any specific religion.

After that, he studied ancient Persian languages, like Avestan. He earned top honors in Oriental Languages. From 1936 to 1937, he studied Pahlavi, another old Iranian language. He studied with Sir Harold Bailey at Cambridge University. Zaehner greatly respected Professor Bailey. He then started writing his book Zurvan, a Zoroastrian Dilemma. This book was about the ancient religion of Iran before Islam.

Zaehner had an amazing gift for learning languages. He later learned to read Sanskrit for Hindu texts. He also learned Pali for Buddhist scriptures and Arabic for Islamic ones. In 1939, he taught as a lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford. During this time, he read works by the French poet Arthur Rimbaud. He also read the Sufi poet Rumi from Iran. He studied the Hindu Upanishads. Zaehner developed his own idea of "nature mysticism." A few years later, he became a Roman Catholic Christian. This happened while he was working in Iran.

Working for British Intelligence

During World War II, starting in 1943, Zaehner worked for British intelligence. He was stationed at their Embassy in Tehran, Iran. He often worked in the mountains with local tribes in northern Iran. His job was to stop enemy spies in Persia during the war. This was difficult and dangerous work.

Zaehner stayed in Iran until 1947. He worked as a press officer at the British Embassy. He also continued his intelligence work. After that, he went back to Oxford to study Zoroastrianism. In 1949, he moved to Malta. There, he helped train people who were against communism in Albania.

By 1950, he got a job at Oxford University teaching Persian literature. In 1951–1952, he returned to Iran for government work again. Professor Ann K. S. Lambton, who had managed British information in Iran during the war, suggested him for the Embassy job. A journalist named Christopher de Bellaigue said Zaehner "knew everyone who mattered in Tehran."

Zaehner was officially a diplomat at the British Embassy in Tehran. But he was still working as an intelligence officer. During a time called the Abadan Crisis, he was involved in trying to support the Shah. The Shah was facing challenges from Mohammed Mossadegh, who was the Prime Minister. The crisis was about the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Mossadegh had taken control of the oil company for Iran. Zaehner was part of a British effort in 1951 to change the government in Iran. This effort aimed to give oil production back to the British company. This kind of foreign involvement in Iran has been criticized.

In the 1960s, another intelligence officer, Peter Wright, questioned Zaehner. There were rumors that Zaehner might have also worked as a spy for the Soviet Union. This could have harmed British operations in Iran and Albania after World War II. Wright described Zaehner as "a small, wiry-looking man." He seemed very smart but also a bit distracted. In his 1987 book Spycatcher, Wright wrote that Zaehner's honest answers convinced him that he was loyal to Britain. Wright felt bad for having to question him.

Later, Zaehner thought about his time in intelligence. He wrote that in such "Government service abroad," being truthful was not always the main goal. He felt that lying could become a habit. He was relieved to return to academic life. He believed that being a scholar was about a "single-minded search for truth." Professor Jeffrey Kripal said Zaehner was "extraordinary truth telling." He thought it might have been a way for Zaehner to make up for his earlier work as a spy.

Professor at Oxford

Zaehner worked at the university until he passed away. He was 61 years old. He died on November 24, 1974, in Oxford. He collapsed on the street while walking to church. The cause of death was a heart attack.

University Contributions

Before the war, Zaehner had taught at Oxford University. After the war, he returned to Christ Church, Oxford. He continued working on his Zurvan book. He also taught Persian literature. At that time, he was known for his articles on Zoroastrianism. These articles mainly focused on the study of languages.

In 1952, Zaehner was chosen as the Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics. He took over from the famous professor Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Radhakrishnan had left to become the vice-president (and later President) of India. Zaehner had applied for this job. Radhakrishnan had promoted the idea that all religions were similar. The academic position was meant to spread this idea of "universalism." Zaehner's first lecture as professor was unusual. He gave a strong but funny criticism of "universalism" in religion.

Zaehner continued to study Zoroastrianism. He published his Zurvan book and two others on the topic in the 1950s.

However, after 1952, he focused more on religions from India. He said, "After my election to the Spalding Chair, I decided to devote myself mainly to the study of Indian religions." He held this teaching position at Oxford until his death in 1974. He was also a fellow at All Souls College. He never married.

In his important 1957 book Mysticism Sacred and Profane, Zaehner wrote about spiritual practices found in many cultures. He looked at mystical writings and created a new way to group them. This idea became very popular in academic discussions. The BBC started asking him to speak on the radio, and he gained many listeners. He was also invited to give lectures in other countries.

He gave a series of lectures in Scotland called the Gifford Lectures. These lectures led to one of his most important books. Zaehner visited the University of St. Andrews twice between 1967 and 1969. He chose to talk about how different world religions have interacted over a long time. He described these interactions as both competitive and as ways they influenced each other. This was different from times when religions were more separate. The lectures were published in 1970 as Concordant Discord. The interdependence of faiths.

What Others Said About Him

As a professor, Zaehner was very good at writing. He also had a huge desire to work. He was good at making friends and cared deeply for his close friends. He also appreciated interesting or unusual people. However, he spent a lot of time alone, mostly working in his study.

An American professor described Zaehner differently: "The small, birdlike Zaehner... could be fearsome indeed." He was a lively person, full of strong opinions.

His colleague in Iran, Professor Ann K. S. Lambton, remembered him. She said he didn't like people who weren't serious. But for students who were serious, he would put in a lot of effort. Professor Zaehner was a fun person to be with and told many funny stories. He was a very original and sometimes unusual person.

Michael Dummett, an Oxford philosophy professor, said Zaehner was "a scholar who turned into something different, something more important than a scholar." He wanted to call him a penseur (a French word for a deep thinker). With his knowledge and experience, Zaehner helped explain important ideas in modern spiritual life. He wrote a lot. His skill was in knowing what questions to ask, rather than just how to answer them.

About Zaehner's writing style, Wilfred Cantwell Smith compared it to a merry-go-round. He said readers might not be sure if they were "actually going somewhere." But he added that a merry-go-round with such "engaging colour, boisterous sound effects, and bouncing intellectual activity" was still a great achievement.

In his religious studies, he challenged the idea that all religions were the same. He did this not out of bad feelings, but because he believed that true discussions between religions must be based on finding the truth. Zaehner thought that if such important talks were based on a false or shallow "harmony and friendship," it would only lead to hidden misunderstandings. This would eventually cause deeper mistrust.