Religious texts (also known as scripture, or scriptures, from the Latin scriptura, meaning "a writing") are texts which religious traditions consider to be central to their religious practice or set of beliefs. Religious texts may be used to provide meaning and purpose, evoke a deeper connection with the divine, convey religious truths, promote religious experience, foster communal identity, and guide individual and communal religious practice. Religious texts often communicate the practices or values of a religious traditions and can be looked to as a set of guiding principles which dictate physical, mental, spiritual, or historical elements considered important to a specific religion. The terms 'sacred' text and 'religious' text are not necessarily interchangeable in that some religious texts are believed to be sacred because of their nature as divinely or supernaturally revealed or inspired, whereas some religious texts are simply narratives pertaining to the general themes, practices, or important figures of the specific religion, and not necessarily considered sacred.
It is not possible to create an exhaustive list of religious texts, because there is no single definition of which texts are recognized as religious.
One of the oldest known religious texts is the Kesh Temple Hymn of Ancient Sumer, a set of inscribed clay tablets which scholars typically date around 2600 BCE. The Epic of Gilgamesh from Sumer, although only considered by some scholars as a religious text, has origins as early as 2150-2000 BCE, and stands as one of the earliest literary works that includes various mythological figures and themes of interaction with the divine. The Rig Veda of ancient Hinduism is estimated to have been composed between 1700–1100 BCE, which not only denotes it as one of the oldest known religious texts, but also one of the oldest written religious text which is still actively used in religious practice to this day.
There are many possible dates given to the first writings which can be connected to Talmudic and Biblical traditions, the earliest of which is found in scribal documentation of the 8th century BCE, followed by administrative documentation from temples of the 5th and 6th centuries BCE, with another common date being the 2nd century BCE. Although a significant text in the history of religious text because of its widespread use among religious denominations and its continued use throughout history, the texts of the Abrahamic traditions are a good example of the lack of certainty surrounding dates and definitions of religious texts.
High rates of mass production and distribution of religious texts did not begin until the invention of the printing press in 1440, before which all religious texts were hand written copies of very which there were relatively limited quantities in circulation.
A religious canon refers to the generally accepted, uniform, and often unchanging collection of texts which a religious denomination considers comprehensive in terms of their specific application of texts. For example, the content of a Protestant Bible may differ from the content of a Catholic Bible.
The word "canon" comes from the Sumerian word meaning "standard".
The terms "scripture" and variations such as "Holy Writ", "Holy Scripture" or "Sacred Scripture" are defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as terms which specifically apply to Biblical text and the Christian tradition.
Hierographology (Ancient Greek: ἱερός, hieros, "sacred" or "holy"; γραφή, graphe, "writing"; λόγος, logos, "word" or "reason") (archaically also 'hierology') is the study of sacred texts.
The following is an in-exhaustive list of links to specific religious texts which may be used for further, more in-depth study.
The writings of Franklin Albert Jones a.k.a. Adi Da Love-Ananda SamrajAletheonThe Companions of the True Dawn HorseThe Dawn Horse TestamentGnosticonThe Heart of the Adi Dam RevelationNot-Two IS PeacePneumatonTranscendental RealismContacts with the Gods from SpaceHavamalEddurGreat Hymn to the AtenThe Akilathirattu AmmanaiThe Arul NoolThe Borgia Group codicesBooks by Bahá'u'lláh
The Four Valleys (1857 version)The Seven Valleys (1860 version)The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh (in Arabic 1857)The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh (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)Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Completed 1873)Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (written until 1892)Epistle to the Son of the Wolf (ca 1890)Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh (compilation chosen by Shoghi Effendi of Bahá'u'lláh's writings, 1853 to 1892)Bon Kangyur and TengyurTheravada BuddhismThe Tipitaka or Pāli CanonVinaya PitakaSutta PitakaDigha 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 PitakaEast Asian MahayanaThe Chinese Buddhist Mahayana sutras, includingDiamond Sutra and the Heart SutraShurangama Sutra and its Shurangama MantraGreat Compassion MantraPure Land BuddhismInfinite Life SutraAmitabha SutraContemplation Sutraother Pure Land SutrasTiantai, Tendai, and NichirenLotus SutraShingonMahavairocana SutraVajrasekhara SutraTibetan BuddhismTibetan Kangyur and TengyurKinh Thiên Đạo Và Thế Đạo (Prayers of the Heavenly and the Earthly Way)Pháp Chánh Truyền (The Religious Constitution of Caodaism)Tân Luật (The Canonical Codes)Thánh Ngôn Hiệp Tuyển (Compilation of Divine Messages)The Donghak ScriptureThe Songs of YongdamThe Sermons of Master HaeweolThe Sermons of Revered Teacher EuiamTraditional ChristianityThe Bible (the Old Testament and the New Testament). Some denominations also include the Apocrypha.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. Some denominations also include the 15 books of the Apocrypha between the Old Testament and the New Testament, for a total of 81 books.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.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.Christian ScientistsThe BibleScience 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.GnosticismNag Hammadi library and other Gnostic texts (not from the Bible)Some books of the Old Testament and New TestamentCerdonianism and MarcionismOnly the Gospel of Marcion and selected Pauline epistles acceptedJehovah's WitnessesThe Bible (The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is their preferred translation.)Latter Day Saint movementThe BibleThe 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 MormonThe Pearl of Great PriceThe Doctrine and CovenantsThere 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 movementSee below.
Seventh-day AdventistsThe BibleThe 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.SwedenborgianismSee below.
Unification ChurchSee below.
The Five ClassicsThe Four BooksThe Thirteen ClassicsThe Three CommentariesThe Principia DiscordiaThe MabinogionLebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of Invasions)Rasa'il al-hikmah (Epistles of Wisdom)Old KingdomPyramid TextsFirst Intermediate Period and Middle KingdomCoffin TextsSecond Intermediate PeriodThe Book of the DeadBook of CavernsBook of GatesAmduatBook of the Heavenly CowLitany of ReLiber LinteusPyrgi TabletsTheogonyHomeric HymnsIliad and OdysseyGolden Verses of PythagorasHermetica, Kybalion, Emerald Tablet and associated writingsŚrutiVedasRig VedaSama VedaYajur VedaAtharva VedaBrahmanasAranyakasUpanishadsSmritiItihāsasMahābhārata (including the Bhagavad Gita)Bhagavad GitaRamayanaPuranas (List)Bhagavata PuranaTantrasSutras (List)StotrasAshtavakra GitaGherand SamhitaGita GovindaHatha Yoga PradipikaYoga VasisthaIn Purva MimamsaPurva Mimamsa SutrasIn Vedanta (Uttar Mimamsa)Brahma Sutras of VyasaIn YogaYoga Sutras of PatanjaliIn SamkhyaSamkhya Sutras of KapilaIn NyayaNyāya Sūtras of GautamaIn VaisheshikaVaisheshika Sutras of KanadaIn VaishnavismVaikhanasa SamhitasPancaratra SamhitasDivyaprabandamIn SaktismSakta TantrasIn Kashmir Saivism64 Bhairavagamas28 Shaiva AgamasShiva Sutras of VasuguptaVijnana Bhairava TantraIn Pashupata ShaivismPashupata Sutras of LakulishPanchartha-bhashya of Kaundinya (a commentary on the Pashupata Sutras)GanakarikaRatnatika of BhasarvajnaIn Shaiva Siddhanta28 Saiva AgamasTirumurai (canon of 12 works)Meykandar Shastras (canon of 14 works)In Gaudiya VaishnavismBrahma SamhitaJayadeva's Gita GovindaKrishna-karnamritaChaitanya BhagavataChaitanya CharitamritaPrema-bhakti-candrikaHari-bhakti-vilasaIn LingayatismSiddhanta ShikhamaniVachana sahityaMantra GopyaShoonya Sampadane28 AgamasKarana HasugeBasava puranaIn Kabir Panthpoems of KabirIn Dadu Panthpoems of DaduThe Quran (also referred to as Kuran, Koran, Qur’ān, Coran or al-Qur’ān) – Four books considered to be revealed and mentioned by name in the Qur'an are the Quran (revealed to Muhammad), Tawrat (revealed to Musa), the Zabur (revealed to Dawud) and the Injil (revealed to Isa)Hadith, reports of the deeds and sayings of Muhammad.Svetambara11 AngasSecondary12 Upangas, 4 Mula-sutras, 6 Cheda-sutras, 2 Culika-sutras, 10 PrakirnakasDigambaraKarmaprabhrita, also called SatkhandagamaKashayaprabhritaNonsectarian/NonspecificJina VijayaTattvartha SutraGandhaHasti Mahabhashya (authoritative and oldest commentary on the Tattvartha Sutra)Rabbinic JudaismSee also: Rabbinic literature
The Tanakh i.e. Hebrew BibleTorah (teachings)Nevi'im (prophets)Ketuvim (writings)The TalmudMishnahGemaraKabbalismKabbalah: Primary textsZoharHasidismEarly texts:Noam Elimelech (Elimelech of Lizhensk)Kedushat Levi (Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev)Foundational texts of various Hasidic sects:Likutei Moharan (Breslov)Me'or Einayim (Chernobyl)Mei Hashiloach (Izhbitza – Radzin)Tanya (Chabad)Vayoel Moshe (Satmar)Karaite JudaismThe TanakhHaymanotThe Tanakh with several Jewish apocryphaKonkokyo Kyōten (Sacred Scriptures of Konkokyo)Oshirase-Goto Obobe-ChōKonko Daijin OboegakiGorikai IGorikai IIGorikai IIIMandaeanism
The Ginza RbaBook of the ZodiacQolusta, Canonical PrayerbookBook of John the BaptizerDiwan Abatur, Purgatories1012 QuestionsCoronation of Shislam RbaBaptism of Hibil ZiwaHaran GawaitaThe Evangelion (Greek: Εὐαγγέλιον, meaning roughly "good news"). Also known as the Gospel of Mani and The Living Gospelthe Treasure of Lifethe Pragmateia (Greek: πραγματεία)the Book of MysteriesThe Book of Giantsthe Epistlesthe 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 ShabuhraganThe ArzhangThe Kephalaia (Greek: Κεφάλαια), "Discourses", found in Coptic translation.The Popol Vuhthe Dresden Codexthe Madrid Codexthe Paris Codexcountless destroyed codicesGod SpeaksDiscoursesThe Bible (among Christian-leaning factions only)Various New Age religions may regard any of the following texts as inspired:
A Course in MiraclesConversations with GodOahspeThe Urantia BookIsis UnveiledOrphic PoemsThe writings of Raël aka Claude VorilhonIntelligent Design: Message from the DesignersSensual MeditationYes to Human CloningThe Bible (Ethiopian Orthodox canon)the Holy Pibythe Kebra NagastThe speeches and writings of Haile Selassie I (including his autobiography My Life and Ethiopia's Progress)Royal Parchment Scroll of Black SupremacyThe Amritbani Guru Ravidass JiThe Samaritan TorahThe Satanic BibleThe Satanic RitualsThe Science of Mind by Ernest HolmesDianetics: The Modern Science of Mental HealthList of Scientology textsThe KojikiThe Rikkokushi, which includes the Nihon Shoki and the Shoku NihongiThe FudokiThe Jinnō ShōtōkiThe KujikiThe Guru Granth SahibThe Dasam GranthThe Spirits BookThe Book on MediumsThe Gospel According to SpiritismHeaven and HellThe Genesis According to SpiritismThe Barton CylinderThe New ChurchThe Bible (several books omitted)The works of Emanuel Swedenborg (not considered equal to the Bible)The General ChurchThe Bible (several books omitted)The works of Emanuel Swedenborg (considered equal to the Bible)Tao Te ChingZhuangzi (book)DaozangThe OfudesakiThe Mikagura-utaThe OsashizuThe Holy Books of Thelema, especially The Book of the LawThe Voice of VenusThe Divine PrincipleThe Bible as illuminated by more recent revelationThe Urantia BookBook of ShadowsCharge of the GoddessThreefold LawWiccan RedeKalâm-e SaranjâmYazidi Black BookYazidi Book of RevelationThe true core texts of the Yazidi religion that exist today are the hymns, known as qawls.Odù IfáJaap Verduijn's Odu Ifa CollectionPrimary 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 issuesFor 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.
