Sacred Words: A Source Book on the Great Religions of the World

Introduction Part 1: The Great Religions of the West Chapter 1: Judaism Setting Mesopotamia: The Land between the Rivers Egypt: The Gift of the Nile The Peoples and Religions of the Levant Sacred Stories and Beliefs The Patriarchs and the Sojourn into Egypt Exodus and the Conquest The Period of the Judges The United and Divided Kingdoms The Exile and Return The Second Commonwealth Scriptures Subdivisions Sectarian Divisions in the Middle Period The Branches of Modern Judaism Sacred Observances and Practices Sources 1. Beginnings: God, Time, and the Universe 2. Humanity: The Problem of Good and Evil 3. Sacred Stories: Divine Messengers, Prophets, and Priests 4. Divine Law: Justice, Reward, and Punishment 5. Gender: Women and Men in Society 6. Daily Living: Health, Etiquette, and Holy Days 7. The Human Quest: Paths to Salvation and Enlightenment 8. The Religious Life: Worship and Righteousness 9. Endings: Death, Judgment, and the Afterlife Chapter 2: Christianity Setting The Inter-Testament Period: The Hasmonean Century, 165-63 BCE The Era of Roman Domination The Period of Herod's Dictatorship The Rule of Herod's Successors Sacred Stories and Beliefs Scriptures The Writing of the Gospels and Acts The Epistles and the Apocalypse The Canonization of the New Testament From Manuscript to Publication Subdivisions The Emergence of Christian Dogma Roman Catholic Christianity The Eastern Orthodox Tradition The Dynamics and Divisions of Protestantism Sacred Observances and Practices Sources 1. Beginnings: God, Time, and the Universe 2. Humanity: The Problem of Good and Evil 3. Sacred Stories: Divine Messengers, Prophets, and Priests 4. Divine Law: Justice, Reward, and Punishment 5. Gender: Women and Men in Society 6. Daily Living: Health, Etiquette, and Holy Days 7. The Human Quest: Paths to Salvation and Enlightenment 8. The Religious Life: Worship and Righteousness 9. Endings: Death, Judgment, and the Afterlife Chapter 3: Islam Setting Sacred Stories and Beliefs Abraham and his Sons Islamic Stories of Jesus Muhammad's Ancestry, Birth, and Childhood Muhammad's Early Prophetic Career The Medina Years Muhammad's Return to Mecca Scriptures The Miracle of the Quran From Revelation to Text Quranic Content and Controversy Other Sources of Islamic Teachings Subdivisions Succession and the Seeds of Disunity Islamic Orthodoxy -- The Path of the Sunni Shi'ite Muslims Shi'ite sub-sects: The Twelvers and the Seveners The Sufi Tradition Sacred Observances and Practices The Pillars of Islam Sources 1. Beginnings: God, Time, and the Universe 2. Humanity: The Problem of Good and Evil 3. Sacred Stories: Divine Messengers, Prophets, and Priests 4. Divine Law: Justice, Reward, and Punishment 5. Gender: Women and Men in Society 6. Daily Living: Health, Etiquette, and Holy Days 7. The Human Quest: Paths to Salvation and Enlightenment 8. The Religious Life: Worship and Righteousness 9. Endings: Death, Judgment, and the Afterlife Part 2: The Great Religions of the East Chapter 4: Hinduism Setting The Land of India The Peoples of India Sacred Stories and Beliefs Getting What You Want The Four Goals The Four Castes The Four Stages Getting What You Deserve Realizing the Godhead Within The Four Paths to Moksha Scriptures Vedic Religion The Four Vedas and the Brahmanas The Aranyakas and the Upanishads SMRTI: The Sacred Tradition The Great Epics Subdivisions[read more]