Sacred TExts

1. Sacred TExts

2. Christianity • The sacred text of Christians is the Bible. • The Bible consists of an Old Testament and a New Testament. • The Old Testament is the record of the sacred covenant between God and the people through Abraham and Moses. • The New Testament is the record of the new Christian covenant through Jesus.

3. Judaism • The Hebrew scriptures consist of twenty-four books and is divided into three sections that are referred to with the acronym TaNaKh, an abbreviation for Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim.

4. Hinduism • The sacred text of the Hindu is The Vedas • The Vedic texts are organized into four sections: • The Rigveda, containing hymns • The Yajurveda, containing formulas to be recited officiating priest • The Samaveda, containing formulas to be sung • The Atharvaveda, a collection of spells and incantations • Individual verses are collectively known as mantras

5. Islam • The sacred text of Islam is the Quran • Written by Muhammad, the founder of Islam • The Quran describes itself as a book of guidance and morals

6. Buddhism • The Buddhist tests were not recorded in writing until after Buddha’s death. • The texts are divided into three different collections, known as the Tripitaka. • They contain: • Stories told by Buddha • The path to enlightenment • Guidelines for monks • Buddhist philosophy

7. Confucianism • The holy text for Confucianism is the Analects • Sayings of Confucius • focuses on relationships and the relationship of the role of rulers and ministers to the conduct of government. • Another holy text is the Wujin, which contains five books • Contains poetry, documents, and rituals of Confucianism

8. Daoism • There are two well-known holy texts in Daoism: • Tao TeChing • Chuang Tzu • These texts criticize or mock other popular views, especially those of Confucius. • Another text, the Liezi, debates about the appropriate way to behave and to lead others