Dr. Manya Saadi-nejad
Lecturer, Religions and Cultures
Biography Teaching activities Refereed publications Conference presentations Art exhibitions in Canada Invited public lectures
PhD
Iranian Studies,
Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany, 2019
Teaching activities
Myths of Ancient Iran and Mesopotamia
Manichaeism
Persian Language (Introductory/Advanced)
Zoroastrianism
Religion and Society in Contemporary Iran
Introduction to Iranian Civilization
Refereed publications
Opposing Aspects of Female Power in Mythological Reflexes of Ancient Goddesses,” Iran and the Caucasus 20 (2016): 205-214
“Iranian Goddesses,” in Richard Foltz, Religions of Iran: From Prehistory to the Present, London: Oneworld, 2013, pp. 56-74.
Book Chapter
“Areduui Sura Anahita: An Indo-European River Goddess,” Analytica Iranica 4-5 (2013): 253-74.
Article
“Mythological Themes in Iranian Culture and Art: Traditional and Contemporary Perspectives,” IranianStudies 42/2 (2009): 231-246
Article
“Is Zoroastrianism an Ecological Religion?” Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture 1/3 (2007): 413-430 (Co-authored with Richard Foltz).
Anahita: A History and Receptions of the Iranian Water Goddess, I.B. Tauris/Bloomsbury, January 2021
Book
“Four Iranian Goddesses,” in Pilkho Pak, ed., Civilizations of the Great Silk Road from the Past to the Future, Samarkand: International Institute for Central Asian Studies, 2017
Article
Conference presentations
“Sudabeh and Rudabeh: Opposing Aspects of Female Power,” 10th Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies, Montréal, Canada, 6-9 August 2014.
“Visual Representations of Anahita in the Avesta,” 9th International Society for Iranian Studies biennial conference, Istanbul, Turkey, 1-5 August 2012.
“Ar¿duui Sura Anahita: An Indo-European River Goddess,” Thus Spoke Zarathushtra: International Conference of Scholars on Zoroastrianism, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 2-3 June 2012.
“Visual Representations of Anahita in the Avesta,” 7th European Conference on Iranian Studies, Krakow, Poland, 7-10 September 2011.
“Mythological Themes in the Work of Contemporary Iranian Artists,” 7th International Society for Iranian Studies biennial conference, Toronto, ON, 30 July-2 August 2008.
“Zoroastrian New Year in Montréal,” Canadian Society for the Study of Religion annual conference, Vancouver, B.C., 1-5 June 2008.
“Mythological Themes in the Work of Contemporary Iranian Artists,” 41st annual Middle East Studies Association annual conference, Montréal, 17-20 November 2007.
“Visual Aspects of Ancient Iranian Gods,” 6th Conference on Ancient Culture Research, Rudaki Association, UNESCO, Paris, France, Nov. 2002.
“Rehabilitating the Pairikas: “Fairies” in Iranian mythology,” 12th Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies, University of California, Irvine, 14-17 August 2018.
“The Indo-European Dragon-Slaying Myth,” Association for the Study of Persianate Societies biennial conference, Tbilisi, Georgia, 15-18 March 2018.
Art exhibitions in Canada
August 2014: Group painting exhibition, MÉKIC gallery, Montréal, Canada
October 2010: Art Westmount biennial group exhibition, Westmount, Qc, Canada
March 2010: Group painting exhibition, Arta Gallery, Toronto, Canada
Dec 2009-Jan 2010: Group painting exhibition, MÉKIC gallery, Montréal, Canada
Sept 2008: Solo painting exhibition, Visual Voice Gallery, Montréal, Canada
April 2008: Group painting exhibition, Visual Arts Centre, Montréal, Canada
Nov 2007: Group painting exhibition, Palais de Congrès, Montréal, Canada
March 2007: Group painting exhibition, Visual Arts Centre, Montréal, Canada
Invited public lectures
February 2016: “How to Kill a Dragon in Ancient Iran,” Samuel Jordan Center for Persian Studies, University of California-Irvine
June 2008: “Ancient Iranian Deities,” Darbe Mehr Zoroastrian Temple, Vancouver, B.C.
October 2005: “A Short History of the Persian Language,” Friends of Zarathushtra Association, Concordia University, Montreal.
May 2001: “Persian Painting,” Iranian Culture Association, UNESCO, Paris