Scripture
From Textus Receptus
Scripture is that portion of literature deemed authoritative for establishing instructions within any of a number of specific religious traditions, especially the Abrahamic religions.<ref> John Miller and Aaron Kenedi, God's Breath: Sacred Scriptures of the World, (New York: Marlowe & Company, 2000).</ref> Such bodies of writings are also sometimes known as the canon of scripture. They are often associated with the belief that they were either given directly, or otherwise inspired, by God, or associated with other kinds of direct access to absolute truth. As such, the term scripture is more specific than religious text, which scholars apply even to mythological and ritual texts from ancient religions, where records of their authority (or heresy) have not survived.<ref> Paul Dundas expresses the opinion that, "In recent years there has been a welcome attempt on the part of historians of religion to dissociate sacred texts from the concept of 'scripture' in its literal sense, so common in conventional accounts of the great west Asian monotheistic traditions, of 'written word' enshrined in some kind of totally fixed canon." The Jains, (Routledge, 1992), p. 53.</ref>
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Comparisons
Investigations by scholars of comparative religion determine the different reasoning that lies behind why various traditions determine some writings to be scripture and others not.<ref>William P. Lazarus and Mark Sullivan. Comparative Religion for Dummies. John Wiley and Sons Ltd, United States, 2008</ref><ref>What is religion?</ref>
This can be illustrated by the documentation of the Egyptian cult of Aten,<ref>A history of "The Short-lived Cult of Aten"</ref> which lasted less than a generation (ca 1350–1335 BC), having been suppressed as heresy. The Nicene Creed<ref>The Nicene Creed</ref> is an early Christian description of their beliefs. However, although this is clearly a religious text and is still highly valued by Christians today, it is not considered scripture<ref>Definition of "scripture"</ref> because it is not among the sacred writings of either the Old or New Testaments. Scriptures are religious texts, the truth of which is received by believers in some traditions based only faith or belief, in that faith is belief in the trustworthiness of a written/spoken idea that has not been proven.<ref>Definition of faith</ref> However, in the Abrahamic traditions especially, but also in others, the scriptures include documentation of events, and reasoned arguments, so the concept of faith is understood to be based on objective and verifiable facts, not merely "blind trust".
Examples
thumb|right|100px|The Aqdas, used by Bahais
In Sikhism
In the Bahá'í Faith
In Islam
thumb|The Quran, used by Muslims
- The Qur'an (also spelled, Koran)
In Judaism
thumb|The Talmud, used by Jews
- The Tanakh
In Catholicism
- The Holy Bible (including the Deuterocanonical books)
In Protestantism
thumb|The Bible, used by Christians
- The Holy Bible (various versions, most exclude Deuterocanonical books)
Among Latter-day saints (Mormon) and some derived sects
Books
- The Holy Bible (King James version), both testaments.
- There is a Joseph Smith translation, and though it is also counted as scripture, it is not officially used.
- The Book of Mormon
- The Doctrine and Covenants
- The Pearl of Great Price
Documents
Music
- Occasionally, some of the hymns (including at least one found in Hymns, 1985—no. 292) are deemed as scripture, teaching doctrines not necessarily taught elsewhere first<ref>Hymns, 1985, no. 292, verse 3</ref>.
Living scripture
- Latter-day saints believe in continuing scripture that may manifest itself in numerous ways, including directly from the Holy Ghost to ordained servants of God<ref>See Doctrine and Covenants 68:2–4</ref>.
References
External links
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