Sacred Texts in World Religions Notes

Sacred Texts in World Religions

Distinguishing Features and Characteristics of Sacred Texts

  • Sacred texts are central to many religions, providing guidance, history, and spiritual insights.

Jewish Sacred Texts - Written and curated over time

  • Primary Text: Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)

  • Secondary Text: Rabbinical Talmud - A collection of writings and interpretations by rabbis, crucial for understanding Jewish law and ethics.

  • The Tanakh includes:

    • Torah (Instruction/Law)

    • Nevi'im (Prophets)

    • Ketuvim (Writings/Scriptures)

Tanakh

  • Tanakh is an acronym used to describe the whole of Jewish scriptures.

  • It is formed from the first letters of Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim.

    • TA (Torah): Instruction/Law

    • NA (Nevi’im): Prophets

    • KH (Ketuvim): Writings/Scriptures

The Torah

  • The Torah (Instruction/Laws) is the first and central doctrine of Judaism.

  • Torah (Pentateuch) refers to the five books of Moses, known in Hebrew as Chameesha Choomshey Torah:

    • Beresheit (Genesis)

    • Shemot (Exodus)

    • Vayicra (Leviticus)

    • Bamidbar (Numbers)

    • Devarim (Deuteronomy)

  • Jews believe God dictated the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai 50 days after their exodus from Egyptian slavery.

  • The Torah shows how God wants Jews to live and contains 613 commandments. The ten best known of these are referred to as the Ten Commandments.

  • The Torah is written in Hebrew, the oldest of Jewish languages.

  • Torah scrolls are taken out from the Ark (Aron ha kodesh) and portions are read in the synagogue three times each week. The main reading is on Shabbat (Sabbath) morning.

  • It is never directly touched by human hands; a pointer (yad) is used. - this is a sign that this text is sacred.

Nevi'im

  • Nevi’im (Prophets) is the second section of the Hebrew Bible.

  • Stories of the Jewish prophets after Moses

  • People who thought God spoke to deliberately and they spread the message of God.

  • Prophets give inspiration for adherents on how they should act.

  • The Prophets are divided into:

    • Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings

    • Latter Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi).

Ketuvim

  • Ketuvim (Writings/Scriptures) is the third and final section of the Hebrew Bible.

  • Written under divine inspiration, but considered less important than the Prophets.

  • There are 11 books within the Ketuvim, in three sections:

    • Poetry: Psalms, Proverbs, Job

    • The five scrolls known as Hamesh Megillot: Song of Songs, Book of Ruth, the Book of Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Book of Esther

    • Other (non-categorized): Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles.

Christian Sacred Text

  • The Bible is the primary sacred text. Note that not all denominations include the same books.

  • The Bible is divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament.

  • The Old Testament contains Law, History, Poetry, Major Prophets.

  • The New Testament contrains Gospels, History, Paul's Letters, General Letters, Prophecy.

  • Comprises 66 books, written by 40 authors over 1500 years in 3 languages across 3 continents.

The Bible

  • The Bible (‘the books’) is a library of books written by different authors and divided into two large groupings:

    • Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament)

    • Christian scriptures (New Testament)

  • Christians use the Hebrew scriptures, but these are classified differently in the Bible.

  • Gospels are part of the New Testament and provide four versions of the life and teachings of Jesus.

  • Rather than contradicting each other, the Gospels add to the ‘richness’ of the truth.

Structure of the Holy Bible

  • Old Testament:

    • Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

    • Historical books: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith, Esther, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees

    • Wisdom books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach

    • Prophetic books: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

  • New Testament:

    • The Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

    • Historical book: Acts

    • Pauline Epistles: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews

    • General Epistles: James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude

    • Revelation

  • Catholic, Orthodox, and Coptic Christians include the Deutero-Canonical Apocrypha in the Old Testament. Extra truth and reason on why Jesus is the Messiah

  • Catholic orthodox and Coptic

Islamic Sacred Text

  • The Holy Qur'an is the primary sacred text.

  • The Hadith and Sunnah are secondary texts.

  • The Qur'an is in Arabic with English translations and short commentaries.

  • وما ينطق عن الهوى إِنْ هُوَ الأخريجي
    The Word of Allah, given to Muhammad

Qur’an

  • The Qur’an is regarded by Muslims as the final word of guidance, given by Allah to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel.

  • Muslims believe the words of the Qur’an are the literal verbal revelation of God.

  • The sacred text was revealed to one person and preserved in oral form for a short period of time (and therefore doesn’t become biased/ influenced by human transmission).

  • It is intended to be read aloud and listened to in Arabic (the word Qur’an means ‘recitation’).

Hindu Sacred Texts

  • Shruti

    • Most revered and authoritative.

    • Believed to be divinely inspired.

    • Shruti translates to ‘that which is heard’.

    • Texts are divine revelations considered to have been heard and transmitted by sages (wise, spiritual teachers).

    • Not attributed to any specific human author.

  • Smriti

    • Texts interpret the Vedas, providing guidance on how to apply sacred texts to life.

    • May be easier for laypeople to read and understand than shruti texts.

    • Considered less authoritative than shruti texts because they are not divinely revealed.

    • Many may consider them to be more influential texts.

The Vedas

  • Unlike other religions' scriptures, the Vedas are not thought to have been revealed to a certain person or persons at a specific historical moment.

  • They are believed to have always existed and were apprehended by sages in deep meditative states at some point prior to c. 1500 BCE, but precisely when is unknown.

  • The written form of the Vedas is considered inferior to oral transmission (diminishes sacredness).

  • Vedic texts are to be recited rather than read.

The Upanishads

  • Upanishads are central to Hinduism.

  • It is believed ancient sages are responsible for composing the texts.

  • The Upanishads teach through stories, riddles, and dialogue.

  • Orthodox Hindu belief = divinely inspired origin = truth.

  • For others, the symbolism and types of text opens the text up to interpretation.

Bhagavad Gita

  • This is less authoritative than the Vedas.

  • It tells the story of a conversation between warrior Prince (Arjuna) and Krishna (God) amidst the background of a clash between Arjuna & family and another family.

  • It is a story of good versus evil.

  • Krishna’s teaching to Arjuna centers around paths to self-realization and liberation from the cycle of rebirth and death.

Buddhist Sacred Texts

Development of Pali Canon (Tipitaka) Pali is a language

  • It is believed that Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) taught for 45 years (oral teachings) in local Indian languages.

  • As Buddhism spread and divided, these teachings (sutras) were recorded and translated into various languages.

    • Sutra: translates to ‘thread’ (a reference to the Buddha’s teachings being sewn together).

  • Theravada: After Buddha’s death, disciples met to collect Buddha’s teachings and recited these in Pali language (a spoken language).

    • This led to the creation of the Pali Canon (Tipitaka).

  • Mahayana Buddhists used Sanskrit for their scriptures.

Pali Canon – Tipitaka (Three Baskets)

  • Vinaya Pitaka (Basket of Discipline): Rules for monastic life (monks and nuns)

  • Sutra Pitaka (Basket of Threads): Myths, stories, sayings of the Buddha

  • Abhidhamma Pitaka (Basket of Higher Teaching): Highly advanced form of Buddha’s teachings revealed from heavenly realm after death

Sacred Texts in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Spirituality

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spirituality is deeply connected to the land, sea, sky, and ancestors.

  • Spirituality is traditionally oral, meaning it’s passed down through stories, songs, dance, art, and ceremonies—not written sacred texts.

Sacred Texts in Australian Aboriginal Spiritualities

  • There is an emphasis on oral traditions & story telling.

  • Sacred stories are often expressed through art, body painting, masks, dance, carvings and rock paintings.

  • Each Indigenous group will have a particular way of recording and communicating their sacred stories.

Australian Aboriginal Spirituality: Art

  • Paintings are often used within rituals and as such must be understood in this context.

  • Some rock art contains anthropomorphic beings (believed to be spirits transformed into the painting itself).

  • Often the stories represented through art are gender and age restricted.

Song

  • A way to articulate connection to country and kin.

  • Aboriginal spirituality is based on contemplation and listening (consider Dadirri).

Dreaming Stories

  • Dreaming stories vary throughout Australia, and there are different versions on the same theme.

  • Stories cover many themes and topics.

    • Creation of sacred places, landforms, people, animals and plants.

    • Stories of language or the first use of fire.

    • Stories telling of the arrival of the first Europeans on ships or stories about trading with Macassan fisherman in northern Australia.

The Tracks of Life

  • The journey of the Spirit Ancestors across the land are recorded in Dreaming tracks.

  • A Dreaming track joins a number of sites which trace the path of an Ancestral Being as it moved through the landscape, forming its features, creating its flora and fauna and laying down the Laws.

  • One of these Spirit Ancestors is the Rainbow Serpent, whose Dreaming track is shared by many Aboriginal communities across Australia.

Sacred Text in Torres Strait Islander Spirituality

  • Although there are no written sacred texts in traditional Torres Strait Islander spirituality, adherents have sacred oral texts in the form of:

    • Stories (Myths or Dreaming stories): These explain the origins of the world and teach moral lessons.

      • Stories about Tagai, a warrior and star constellation, are central to Torres Strait cosmology.

      • His story explains the order of the universe, the seasons, and the laws people must live by.

      • His story is told and re-told orally, like a sacred text, and passed on through performance, song, and visual art.

    • Songs and Chants: Passed down through generations, these are spiritual