R C Zaehner

Robert Charles Zaehner (1913–1974) was a British scholar whose academic career centered on the study of Eastern religions. Possessing a remarkable aptitude for languages, including Sanskrit, Pali, and Arabic, Zaehner delved into the original texts of various sacred traditions. His early academic work at Oxford focused on Zoroastrianism, but his career expanded significantly after his service as an intelligence officer in Iran during World War II. Upon returning to Oxford, he was appointed Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics, a position he held until his death. Throughout his tenure, Zaehner explored diverse religious phenomena, from Hinduism and comparative religion to Christian and other faiths, with a particular interest in mystical experience. He also engaged with contemporary issues, discussing religion and popular culture through his writings and BBC broadcasts. Zaehner's academic contributions included a widely recognized typology of mystical experience and translations with extensive commentary, such as his work on the Bhagavad Gita.

Born in 1913 to Swiss-German immigrants, Robert Charles Zaehner was fluent in French and English from a young age and demonstrated an exceptional talent for languages throughout his life. He studied classical languages at Oxford before pursuing ancient Persian languages, including Avestan and Pahlavi, achieving first-class honors. His initial academic focus was on Zoroastrianism, evidenced by his early writings and his book 'Zurvan, a Zoroastrian Dilemma.' Zaehner also acquired proficiency in Sanskrit, Pali, and Arabic, enabling him to engage directly with the scriptures of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. During his university years, he experienced a spontaneous, non-religious mystical event and later adopted a personal form of 'nature mysticism' before converting to Roman Catholicism.

During World War II, Zaehner served as a British intelligence officer in Iran, undertaking difficult and dangerous counterintelligence work, often undercover among local tribes. His fluency in local dialects and understanding of the region were crucial. After the war, he continued diplomatic and intelligence roles in Iran until 1947 and briefly in Malta. This period of government service, which involved complex political and covert operations, later led Zaehner to reflect on the nature of truth and deception, contrasting it with the scholarly pursuit of truth he found in academia. He returned to Oxford in 1950 as a lecturer in Persian literature and was appointed Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics in 1952, a position he held until his death.

As Spalding Professor at Oxford, Zaehner critiqued notions of religious 'universalism,' emphasizing his independent approach to the study of comparative religions. He dedicated himself primarily to Indian religions and explored mystical experience across cultures in his influential 1957 book, 'Mysticism Sacred and Profane.' In this work, he proposed a significant typology of mystical experiences, which was widely discussed. While initially dismissive of drug-induced states as comparable to religious mysticism, he revisited the topic later in 'Zen, Drugs and Mysticism,' offering a more nuanced distinction. His lectures, including the Gifford Lectures, led to his book 'Concordant Discord: The Interdependence of Faiths,' which examined the historical interactions between world religions. Zaehner's work often addressed popular culture, leading to radio appearances on the BBC.

“truth is seen as the last of the virtues and to lie comes to be a second nature.”

“It seemed to me, if ever there was a profession concerned with a single-minded search for truth, it was the profession of the scholar.”