The Representation of Educational Centers for Monotheistic Religions in Sasanian Iran Case Study: Tarsayan (Christians)

This interdisciplinary (historical-religious) paper seeks to introduce the educational centers for the Tarsayan (Christians) of Iran during the Sassanid era. Based on historical findings, it tries to analyze issues such as types, geographical distribution, names of teachers and students, educational materials and scientific achievements, economics and education. For scrutinizing the issue, this basic-historical research which is done through the descriptive-analytical method has collected and organized historical information. The research findings are as follows: 1- historical reports on Tarsayan educational centers are much more than reports on Zoroastrian educational institutions; 2- Tarsayan training centers have been of three types; 3- the geographical dispersion of these centers has been unbalanced; 4- the names of a number of these centers and their teachers and students have not been mentioned in history; 5- the main focus of their curriculum was the Bible; but Greek sciences such as philosophy, logic, mathematics, medicine, etc. were also taught; 6- the economy of these centers has been focused on public aid and endowments and assistance of bishops 7- all these centers were established and presided by the bishops; 8- a number of these centers were built in temples 9- in economics, management, ethics, and etiquette, these centers have been governed and supported by the church.