Ch. 6 ScriptureCh. 6 Scripture Key non-English words: vedasdharmasutraGuru Granth Sahib

Qur’anHadithTorahTanak

logospentateuch

apocrypha,vulgatesola scriptura

The Analects

Ch. 6 ScriptureCh. 6 Scripture

Scripture is a late development in Scripture is a late development in most major religions because….most major religions because…. …..literacy was not common. However, oral

tradition functioned much like scripture does today.

Often, the first people to become literate were the religious leaders, and the first formal forms of education were for the training of clergy.

Most religions were not based on scriptures at their origins. Rather, the religion came first and the scriptures were an attempt to preserve it or clarify it.

Scriptures have authority. Max Muller’s 50 Volume Collection

Scriptures of the East (1879) opened up the word “scriptures” to apply to more than just the Bible.

EXAMPLES OF SCRIPTURESEXAMPLES OF SCRIPTURES Vedas Tanak New Testament Qu’ran & Hadith 5 Classics: I Ching (Book of

Changes), Book of Rites, Book of Poetry, Spring & Autumn Annals, Analects. Some add Mencius’The Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean.

Sutras

HinduJewish

Christian

Moslem

Confucianism /Chinese classics

Buddhism

Hindu ScripturesHindu Scriptures Vedas: some never known to the West until the 1850s (Sanskrit). Sriti (that which is heard) and Smrti (that which is remembered)

Examples RgVeda (Hymns to Hindu Gods), SamaVeda (rituals and chants) AtharvaVeda (Healings) Brahamanas (priestly manual: rules, rituals explained). Aranyakas (meditation manual) Upanishads (“sitting near”): a very philosophical work which explains

samsara (the cycle of birth and rebirth) which can lead ulitimately to moksha(liberation).

Puranas, Mahabharata, & Ramayana: ancient lore and stories of the gods.

The Bhagavad Gita is the most famous part of the Mahabharata telling of the Gods Krishna and Rama, who are both incarnations of Vishnu.)

Guru Guru GranthGranth SahibSahib The Sikh religion

began with the Guru Nanak around 1500 A.D. in India.

After a series of 10 living gurus, the final guru was a set of scriptures called the Guru GranthSahib which is found in every Sikh gudwara (temple).

TanakTanak: the Hebrew Scriptures: the Hebrew Scriptures(a.k.a. the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament)(a.k.a. the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament) the Torah: (the Teaching, the Law)

the first 5 books a.k.a. the Pentateuch

the Nevi’im: the Prophets

the Ketuvim: the wisdom writings

The Talmud: commentaries on the mishna

(commandments)

Babylonian Talmud

PalestinianTalmud

בראשית) .1 / Bereshit) - Genesisשמות) .2 / Shemot) - Exodusויקרא) .3 / Vayikra) - Leviticusבמדבר) .4 / Bamidbar) - Numbersדברים) .5 / Devarim) - Deuteronomy

Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekial, Hosea, Amos, Jonah etc

Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Esther, Daniel , Ezra, Nehemiah

The The KoranKoran or or Qu’ranQu’ran A collection of what Mohamed recited. It is not in story form or chronological

order. There are 114 suras (chapters) each

with a name arranged in order of length, with numbered ayat verses.

Several suras group together in 30 partsEx: XIX, 26: 5719th part, 26th sura (called “poets”), 57th verse

The 5 Chinese ClassicsThe 5 Chinese Classics

I Ching (Book of Changes)The Book of RitesThe Book of PoetryThe Spring & Autumn AnnalsThe Analects

Some add Mencius’The Great Learning andThe Doctrine of the Mean.

Taoist: the oldest writings. Source: Lao Tzu

Believed to be edited by Confucius

Believed to be written by Confucius