Robert Zaehner
British spy and academic on Eastern religions (1913-1974) · United Kingdom · On the map · Academics · Died at 61
Robert Charles Zaehner 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.
Robert Zaehner is read about 37 times a day, in 11 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 4 August 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.
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![R. C. Zaehner (1972)[1][2]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Internationaal_Theologisch_Congres_toekomst_van_de_religie%2C_religie_van_de_toeko%2C_Bestanddeelnr_925-4729.jpg/1280px-Internationaal_Theologisch_Congres_toekomst_van_de_religie%2C_religie_van_de_toeko%2C_Bestanddeelnr_925-4729.jpg)
About this person
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, 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.
