 Zend-Avesta is unapologetically religious. Fechner conceives it as a defense of ancient natural religion. In his preface he writes that its purpose is to restore an old belief: “that all of nature is living and divinely ensouled” (ZA: vi). Zend-Avesta, which means “living word” in ancient Persian, was the sacred text of Zoroastrianism. Fechner hopes that his work will be a new Zend-Avesta (ZA: vii).