‘What is the difference between Hinduism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism?’ (short 300-word response)
‘Why does Islam oppose Christianity?’ (short 300-word response)
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Zoroastrianism has a reputation for its dualism.

The Avesta and Gathas describe a conflict between two opposing forces: those of cosmic order and destruction. This conflict dominates the visible world just as it dominates the invisible and spiritual domains. Zoroastrians believed a World Savior would one day arrive, that evil would be defeated, and that a paradise on Earth would emerge.

Ahura Mazda is the benevolent deity and creator of the world. His rival is Angra Mainyu, the god of darkness and evil. Both of these deities have their respective armies of spirit beings (amesha spenta, daevas, etc.) waging war against each other. Angra Mainyu challenges Angra Mainyu evenly, thus stressing the former’s temporary lack of omnipotence. Only when the prophet Zoroaster was born did Ahura Mazda begin to have an advantage over his rival. Good and evil are ontological realities and humans must choose a side: with the good god Ahura Mazda or the evil god Angra Mainyu.

Christianity contains dualistic features. Biblical texts assert that both good and evil forces exist in God’s creation and are at odds with each other. Arguably, the Johannine literature is the clearest. The Gospel of John presents major distinctions between truth and falsehood (1:6, 2:4, 21, 27, etc.), light and darkness (1:5, 2:8-9, 10), life and death (1:2; 3:14-15, etc.), and the Christian community and “the world” (2:15; 3:1, etc.).

The world is an arena for the revelation of Jesus Christ and the object of God’s love and salvation (1:9, 3:16–17, 4:42, etc.), but it is also a place of hostility toward believers because of the world’s rejection of God in Jesus (1:10, 7:4–7, 8:23, etc.). First John asserts that the world contains perverted values and hatred for the “children of God” (2:15–17; 3:1, etc.).

This reminds me of the esteemed theologian St. Augustine’s (354–430 CE) idea, who, in his encyclopedic The City of God, writes that there are two cities: The city of God (built on the love of God) and the earthly city (built on the love of the self). These two cities have always been entangled and are irreconcilable in their mutual opposition. Augustine believed that at the end, only the city of God would remain after the fall of human kingdoms and nations, all built on love of self.