Robert Charles Zaehner
Robert Charles Zaehner (8 April 1913 – 24 November 1974) was a British academic whose field of study was
Eastern religions. He understood the original languages of various sacred texts, including
Sanskrit,
Pali, and
Arabic. At
Oxford University, his first writings were on the
Zoroastrian religion and its texts. Starting in
World War II, he served as an intelligence officer in
Iran. Appointed
Spalding Professor at Oxford in 1952, his books addressed such subjects as
mystical experience (articulating a widely cited typology), Hinduism,
comparative religion,
Christianity and other religions, and ethics. He translated the
Bhagavad Gita, providing an extensive commentary based on Hindu tradition and sources. His last books addressed similar popular culture issues, leading to his talks on the
BBC. He published under the name R. C. Zaehner.
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