|
|
|
NONRELIGIOUS Worldview No writings are sacred. Much authoritative Western nonreligious literature draws from great minds of philosophy (e.g., Plato, Socrates, Spinoza, Hume, Locke, Russell), from major contributors in science (Einstein, Darwin, Huxley, Newton, Copernicus, Galileo) and from writings of actors in Enlightenment era politics (Voltaire, Mary Wollstonecraft, Thomas Paine, Jefferson, and Ethan Allen). The nonreligious have a tendency to be voracious readers of all types of literature, including influential religious literature. BUDDHISM Sacred are the teachings of the Buddha, handed down in a collection of writings known as the “Three Baskets” (Tri-Pitaka) and comprising the discourses of the Buddha, the rules of discipline for Buddhist monks and nuns, and further knowledge—the “great teaching basket.” Three versions survive: one in the Pali language (used by southern Buddhists), and two Mahayana versions in Chinese and in Tibetan (used by northern Buddhists). The Mahayana versions include later books not recognized as authoritative by southern Buddhists. CHRISTIANITY The Bible is sacred scripture. It consists of the “Old Testament”—the books of the Hebrew Bible—plus the “New Testament.” The books of the latter were fixed circa 280 CE and are the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, letters from writers such as Paul and James and the Book of Revelation. HINDUISM There are many sacred books, of which the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads are seen as the most important. ISLAM Seen as the infallible word of Allah is the Qur'an (Koran), which the Angel Jibra'il dictated to Muhammad in the first part of the seventh century CE. Muslims believe that the Qur'an was written by Allah before time began. Also sacred, the sayings (including actions and silent approval) of the Prophet Muhammad, the Hadith. JUDAISM The Hebrew Bible has three parts: The Torah (Five Books of Moses), the Prophets and the Writings such as Esther and the Psalms. The Torah contains laws, doctrine and guidance on way of life, as well as accounts of the early history of the Jewish people and their relationship with God. SIKHISM The Guru Granth Sahib, a collection of writings and hymns by some of the ten Gurus of Sikhism, plus material from Muslim and Hindu writers. It was compiled mid-16th century and was made the eleventh and final Guru of Sikhism at the death of the tenth Guru in 1708. TAOISM There are over 4000 books in the Taoist Canon, from the fourth century BCE to the 14th century CE. Each school has its own favorites and many look back to the Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu, compiled circa fourth century BCE, as their initial source of inspiration. DEIST Worldview (of historical interest) Although not sacred to the Deists, the texts of Descartes and Newton underlay the rational temper of their “religion of reason” and yielded the mechanistic universe they perceived. Deistic context was one of Christianity, with its Bible, but the Deists rejected revelation and the dogma and tenets of the traditional religion. (David Hume’s Essay on Miracles was but one of many of the reasoned attacks on Christian scripture.)
|
|
Instructional Systems, 163418 Fort Sutter Station, Sacramento, CA 95816 Email: OABITAR@aol.com Last updated 8/18/2006 OABITAR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization. All materials developed by Instructional Systems are copyright © 2002,3,4,5,6. Please contact I.S. to arrange for free duplication privileges. |
