Date: Sunday, 4-Jan-2015 18:46:08
(Having read them all recently I decided to sit for a few minutes and ponder what I have learned in order to choose a theology (religion) that I believe is true).
*LIST OF THE TEXTS IS BELOW INTRODUCTION (THIS IS FROM WIKIPEDIA).
Religious texts, also known as scripture, scriptures, holy writ, or holy books, are the texts which various religious traditions consider to be sacred, or central to their religious tradition. Many religions and spiritual movements believe that their sacred texts are divinely or supernaturally revealed or inspired.
History of religious texts
The oldest known religious texts are Pyramid texts of Ancient Egypt that date to 2400-2300 BCE. The earliest form of the Phoenician alphabet found to date is the inscription on the sarcophagus of King Ahiram of Byblos. ( The Sumerian Temple Hymns ). The Epic of Gilgamesh from Sumer, with origins as early as 2150-2000 BCE,:41-42 is also one of the earliest literary works that includes various mythological figures.:41-42 The Rigveda of Hinduism is proposed to have been composed between 1700-1100 BCE making it possibly the world's oldest religious text still in use. The oldest portions of the Zoroastrian Avesta are believed to have been transmitted orally for centuries before they found written form, and although widely differing dates for Gathic Avestan have been proposed, scholarly consensus floats at around 1000 - 600 BCE.
The majority of scholars agree that the Torah's composition took place over centuries. From the late 19th century there was a general consensus around the documentary hypothesis, which suggests that the five books were created c.450 BCE by combining four originally independent sources, known as the Jahwist, or J (about 900 BCE), the Elohist, or E (about 800 BCE), the Deuteronomist, or D, (about 600 BCE), and the Priestly source, or P (about 500 BC).
The first scripture printed for wide distribution to the masses was The Diamond Sutra, a Buddhist scripture, and is the earliest recorded example of a dated printed text, bearing the Chinese calendar date for 11 May 868 CE.
Views
Attitudes to sacred texts differ. Some religions make written texts widely and freely available, while others hold that sacred secrets must remain hidden from all but the loyal and the initiate. Most religions promulgate policies defining the limits of the sacred texts and controlling or forbidding changes and additions. Some religions view their sacred texts as the "Word of God", often contending that the texts are inspired by God and as such not open to alteration. Translations of texts may receive official blessing, but an original sacred language often has de facto, absolute or exclusive paramountcy. Some religions make texts available free or in subsidized form; others require payment and the strict observance of copyright.
References to scriptures profit from standardisation: the Guru Granth Sahib (of Sikhism) always appears with standardised page numbering while many other religions (including the Abrahamic religions and their offshoots) favour chapter and verse pointers.
Other terms
Terms like "Holy Writ", "Holy Scripture" or "Sacred Scripture" are often used by adherents to describe the canonical works of their religion to denote the text's importance, its status as divine revelation, or, as in the case of many Christian groups, its complete inerrancy. Christianity is not alone in using this terminology to revere its sacred book; Islam holds the Qur'an in similar esteem, as does Hinduism the Vedas and Bhagavad Gita and Buddhism the sutras.
Hierographology
Sacred texts of various religions
Adidam
The writings of Franklin Albert Jones a.k.a. Adi Da Love-Ananda Samraj
Aletheon
The Companions of the True Dawn Horse
The Dawn Horse Testament
Gnosticon
The Heart of the Adi Dam Revelation
Not-Two IS Peace
Pneumaton
Transcendental Realism
'Asatr'u
Havamal
Eddas
Atenism
Great Hymn to the Aten
Ayyavazhi
The Akilathirattu Ammanai
The Arul Nool
Aztec religion
The Borgia Group codices
Bah'a'i Faith
Main article: Bah'a'i literature
Books by Bah'a'u'll'ah
The Four Valleys (1857 version)
The Seven Valleys (1860 version)
The Hidden Words of Bah'a'u'll'ah (in Arabic 1857)
The Hidden Words of Bah'a'u'll'ah (in Persian 1857)
Gems of Divine Mysteries (ca 1859)
The Book of Certitude (partly in Persian and partly in Arabic 1861)
Summons of the Lord of Hosts (ca 1868)
Tabernacle of Unity (ca 1870)
The Aqdas /The Most Holy Book (Completed 1873)
Tablets of Bah'a'u'll'ah Revealed After the Kit'ab-i-Aqdas (written until 1892)
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf (ca 1890)
Gleanings from the Writings of Bah'a'u'll'ah (compilation chosen by Shoghi Effendi of Bah'a'u'll'ah's writings, 1853 to 1892)
B"on
Bon Kangyur and Tengyur
Buddhism
Ancient style of scripture used for the Pali Canon
See also: Buddhist texts
Theravada Buddhism
The Tipitaka or Pali Canon
Vinaya Pitaka
Sutta Pitaka
Digha Nikaya, the "long" discourses.
Majjhima Nikaya, the "middle-length" discourses.
Samyutta Nikaya, the "connected" discourses.
Anguttara Nikaya, the "numerical" discourses.
Khuddaka Nikaya, the "minor collection".
Abhidhamma Pitaka
East Asian Mahayana
The Chinese Diamond Sutra, the oldest known dated printed book in the world, printed in the 9th year of Xiantong Era of the Tang Dynasty, or 868 CE. British Library.
The Chinese Buddhist Tripiaka, including
Diamond Sutra and the Heart Sutra
Shurangama Sutra and its Shurangama Mantra
Pure Land Buddhism
Infinite Life Sutra
Amitabha Sutra
Contemplation Sutra
other Pure Land Sutras
Tiantai, Tendai, and Nichiren
Lotus Sutra
Shingon
Mahavairocana Sutra
Vajrasekhara Sutra
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Kangyur and Tengyur
Cheondoism
The Donghak Scripture
The Songs of Yongdam
The Sermons of Master Haeweol
The Sermons of Revered Teacher Euiam
Christianity
Further information: Biblical canon, Christian biblical canons and Books of the Bible
Christian Bible, 1407 handwritten copy
Traditional Christendom
The Bible (the Old Testament and New Testament)
For Protestantism, this is the 66-book canon - the Jewish Tanakh of 24 books divided differently (into 39 books) and the universal 27-book New Testament.
For Catholicism, this includes seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament for a total of 73 books, called the Canon of Trent (in versions of the Latin Vulgate, 3 Esdras and 4 Esdras are included in an appendix, but considered non-canonical).
For the Eastern Orthodox Church, this includes the anagignoskomena, which consist of the Catholic deuterocanon, plus 3 Maccabees, Psalm 151, the Prayer of Manasseh, and 3 Esdras. 4 Maccabees is considered to be canonical by the Georgian Orthodox Church.[10]
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (and its offspring, the Eritrean Orthodox Church) adds various additional books depending on the specific enumeration of the canon (see Ethiopian Biblical canon), but always includes 4 Esdras, the Book of Jubilees, 1 Enoch, 4 Baruch, and 1, 2, and 3 Meqabyan (no relation to the Books of Maccabees).
Some Syriac churches accept the Letter of Baruch as scripture.
The Bible (left) and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (right) serve as the pastor of the Christian Science church.
Christian Scientists
The Bible
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. This textbook, along with the Bible, serves as the permanent "impersonal pastor" of the church.
Gnosticism
Nag Hammadi library and other Gnostic texts (not from the Bible)
Some books of the Old Testament and New Testament
Cerdonianism and Marcionism
Only the Gospel of Marcion and selected Pauline epistles accepted
Cover page of The Book of Mormon from an original 1830 edition, by Joseph Smith, Jr.
(Image from the U.S. Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Division.)
Jehovah's Witnesses
The Bible (The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is their preferred translation.)
Latter Day Saint movement
Further information: Standard Works and Biblical canon SS Latter Day Saint canons
The Bible
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) uses the LDS edition of the King James Bible for English-speaking members; other versions are used in non-English speaking countries.
The Community of Christ (RLDS) uses the Joseph Smith Translation, which it calls the Inspired Version, as well as updated modern translations.
The Book of Mormon
The Pearl of Great Price
The Doctrine and Covenants
There are significant differences in content and section numbering between the Doctrine and Covenants used by the Community of Christ (RLDS) and the LDS Church.
Other, smaller branches of Latter Day Saints include other scriptures, such as the Book of the Law of the Lord used by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) or The Word of the Lord used by Fettingite branches.
Native American Church (Christian-leaning factions)
See below.
Rastafari movement
See below.
Seventh-day Adventists
The Bible
The writings of Ellen White are held to an elevated status, though not equal with the Bible, as she is considered to have been an inspired prophetess.
Swedenborgianism
See below.
Unification Church
See below.
Confucianism
The Five Classics
The Four Books
The Thirteen Classics
Discordianism
The Principia Discordia
Druidism
The Mabinogion
Lebor Gab'ala 'Erenn (The Book of Invasions)
Druze
Rasa'il al-hikmah (Epistles of Wisdom)
Ancient Egyptian religion
Pyramid texts from Teti I's pyramid.
Old Kingdom
Pyramid Texts
First Intermediate Period and Middle Kingdom
Coffin Texts
Second Intermediate Period
The Book of the Dead
Book of Caverns
Book of Gates
Amduat
Book of the Heavenly Cow
Litany of Re
Etruscan religion
The Cippus of Perugia, 3rd or 2nd century BCE
Liber Linteus
Pyrgi Tablets
Ancient Greece
Homeric Hymns
Theogony
Golden Verses of Pythagoras
Hermeticism
Hermetica, Kybalion, Emerald Tablet and associated writings
Hinduism
Main article: Hindu texts
'Sruti
Vedas
Rig Veda
Sama Veda
Yajur Veda
Atharva Veda
Brahmanas
Aranyakas
Upanishads
The Bhagavad Gita is Lord Krishna's counsel to Arjuna on the battlefield of the Kurukshetra.
Smriti
Itihasas
Mahabharata (including the Bhagavad Gita)
Bhagavad Gita
Ramayana
Puranas (List)
Bhagavata Purana
Tantras
Sutras (List)
Stotras
Ashtavakra Gita
Gherand Samhita
Gita Govinda
Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Yoga Vasistha
In Purva Mimamsa
Purva Mimamsa Sutras
In Vedanta (Uttar Mimamsa)
Brahma Sutras of Vyasa
In Yoga
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
In Samkhya
Samkhya Sutras of Kapila
In Nyaya
Nyaya Sutras of Gautama
In Vaisheshika
Vaisheshika Sutras of Kanada
In Vaishnavism
Vaikhanasa Samhitas
Pancaratra Samhitas
In Saktism
Sakta Tantras
In Kashmir Saivism
64 Bhairavagamas
28 Shaiva Agamas
Shiva Sutras of Vasugupta
Vijnana Bhairava Tantra
In Pashupata Shaivism
Pashupata Sutras of Lakulish
Panchartha-bhashya of Kaundinya (a commentary on the Pashupata Sutras)
Ganakarika
Ratnatika of Bhasarvajna
In Shaiva Siddhanta
28 Saiva Agamas
Tirumurai (canon of 12 works)
Meykandar Shastras (canon of 14 works)
In Gaudiya Vaishnavism
Brahma Samhita
Jayadeva's Gita Govinda
Krishna-karnamrita
Chaitanya Bhagavata
Chaitanya Charitamrita
Prema-bhakti-candrika
Hari-bhakti-vilasa
In Lingayatism
Siddhanta Shikhamani
Vachana sahitya
Mantra Gopya
Shoonya Sampadane
28 Agamas
Karana Hasuge
Basava purana
In Kabir Panth
poems of Kabir
In Dadu Panth
poems of Dadu
Islam
11th Century North African Qur'an in the British Museum
Main article: Islamic holy books
Quran (also referred to as Kuran, Koran, Qur'an, Coran or al-Qur'an) - Four books considered to be revealed and mentioned by name in the Qur'an are the Quran (revealed to Muhammad), Tawrat (revealed to Moses), the Zabur (revealed to David) and the Injil (Gospel) (revealed to Jesus).
Hadith, reports of the deeds and sayings of Muhammad.
Jainism
Main article: Jain Agamas
Svetambara
11 Angas
Secondary
12 Upangas, 4 Mula-sutras, 6 Cheda-sutras, 2 Culika-sutras, 10 Prakirnakas
Digambara
Karmaprabhrita, also called Satkhandagama
Kashayaprabhrita
Nonsectarian/Nonspecific
Jina Vijaya
Tattvartha Sutra
GandhaHasti Mahabhashya (authoritative and oldest commentary on the Tattvartha Sutra)
Judaism
A Sefer Torah opened for liturgical use in a synagogue service
Rabbinic Judaism
See also: Rabbinic literature
The Tanakh i.e. Hebrew Bible
Torah (teachings)
Nevi'im (prophets)
Ketuvim (writings)
The Talmud
Mishnah
Gemara
Kabbalism
Kabbalah
Zohar
Karaite Judaism
The Tanakh
Beta Israel
The Tanakh with several Jewish apocrypha
LaVeyan Satanism
The Satanic Bible (primary text)
The Satanic Rituals (contains additional rituals)
Mandaeanism
The Ginza Rba
Book of the Zodiac
Qolusta, Canonical Prayerbook
Book of John the Baptizer
Diwan Abatur, Purgatories
1012 Questions
Coronation of Shislam Rba
Baptism of Hibil Ziwa
Haran Gawaita
Manichaeism
The Evangelion (Greek:, meaning roughly "good news"). Also known as the Gospel of Mani and The Living Gospel
the Treasure of Life
the Pragmateia (Greek: )
the Book of Mysteries
the Book of Giants
the Epistles
the Psalms and Prayers. A Coptic Manichaean Psalter, discovered in Egypt in the early 1900s, was edited and published by Charles Allberry from Manichaean manuscripts in the Chester Beatty collection and in the Berlin Academy, 1938-9.
The Shabuhragan
The Arzhang
The Kephalaia (Greek: ), "Discourses", found in Coptic translation.
Maya religion
The Popol Vuh
the Dresden Codex
the Madrid Codex
the Paris Codex
countless destroyed codices
Meher Baba
Cover of God Speaks
God Speaks
Discourses (Meher Baba)
Native American Church
The Bible (among Christian-leaning factions only)
New Age religions
Various New Age religions may regard any of the following texts as inspired:
A Course in Miracles
Conversations with God
Oahspe
The Urantia Book
Isis Unveiled
Orphism
Orphic Poems
Ra"elism
The writings of Ra"el aka Claude Vorilhon
Geniocracy
Intelligent Design: Message from the Designers
Sensual Meditation
Yes to Human Cloning
Rastafari movement
The Bible (Ethiopian Orthodox canon)
the Holy Piby
the Kebra Negast
The speeches and writings of Haile Selassie I (including his autobiography My Life and Ethiopia's Progress)
Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy
Ravidassia
Amritbani Satguru Ravidass Ji Ki-Holy Book of Ravidassia Religion
The Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji
Samaritanism
See also: Samaritan religious texts
The Samaritan Torah
Science of Mind
The Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes
Scientology
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health
List of Scientology texts
Shinto
The Kojiki
The Rikkokushi, which includes the Nihon Shoki and the Shoku Nihongi
The Fudoki
The Jinno Shotoki
The Kujiki
Sikhism
Illuminated Guru Granth folio with Mul Mantar(basic religion mantra) with signature of Guru Gobind Singh.
Main article: Sikh scriptures
The Guru Granth Sahib
The Dasven Padshah Da Granth
Spiritism
The Spirits Book
The Book on Mediums
The Gospel According to Spiritism
Heaven and Hell
The Genesis According to Spiritism
Sumerian
The Barton Cylinder
Swedenborgianism
The New Church
The Bible (several books omitted)
The works of Emanuel Swedenborg (not considered equal to the Bible)
The General Church
The Bible (several books omitted)
The works of Emanuel Swedenborg (considered equal to the Bible)
Taoism
Tao Te Ching
Zhuangzi (book)
Daozang
Tenrikyo
The Ofudesaki
The Mikagura-uta
The Osashizu
Thelema
Holy Books of Thelema especially The Book of the Law
Unification Church
Divine Principle
The Bible as illuminated by more recent revelation
Urantianism
Urantia Book
Wicca
Book of Shadows
Charge of the Goddess
Threefold Law
Wiccan Rede
Y^ars^an
Kal^am-e Saranj^am
Yazidi
Yazidi Black Book
Yazidi Book of Revelation
The true core texts of the Yazidi religion that exist today are the hymns, known as qawls.
Yor`ub'a
Od`u If'a
Jaap Verduijn's Odu Ifa Collection
Zoroastrianism
Yasna 28.1 (Bodleian MS J2)
Primary religious texts, that is, the Avesta collection:
The Yasna, the primary liturgical collection, includes the Gathas.
The Visperad, a collection of supplements to the Yasna.
The Yashts, hymns in honor of the divinities.
The Vendidad, describes the various forms of evil spirits and ways to confound them.
shorter texts and prayers, the Yashts the five Nyaishes ("worship, praise"), the Sirozeh and the Afringans (blessings).
There are some 60 secondary religious texts, none of which are considered scripture. The most important of these are:
The Denkard (middle Persian, 'Acts of Religion'),
The Bundahishn, (middle Persian, 'Primordial Creation')
The Menog-i Khrad, (middle Persian, 'Spirit of Wisdom')
The Arda Viraf Namak (middle Persian, 'The Book of Arda Viraf')
The Sad-dar (modern Persian, 'Hundred Doors', or 'Hundred Chapters')
The Rivayats, 15th-18th century correspondence on religious issues
For general use by the laity:
The Zend (lit. commentaries), various commentaries on and translations of the Avesta.
The Khordeh Avesta, Zoroastrian prayer book for lay people from the Avesta.
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(OK, THIS MAKE TAKE LONGER THAN I THOUGHT). nem
