Scripture

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Scripture is a technical term for writings that are definitively characteristic of particular religious traditions. It is more specific than the term religious text, which scholars can apply even to mythological and ritual texts from ancient religions, where records of their authority (or heresy) have not survived. Scholars of comparative religion investigate the different reasoning that lies behind why various traditions determine some writings to be scripture and others not.

This can be illustrated by the ancient documentation of an Egyptian cult of Aten, which lasted little more than a generation, having been suppressed as heresy. Although texts in praise of Aten, like the Great Hymn to the Aten, perhaps were Aten scriptures, they cannot be considered definitive of the mainstream ancient Egyptian scriptures. On the other hand, the Nicene Creed is an early Christian description of their beliefs. However, although this is clearly a religious text, and is still highly valued by Christians today, they do not consider it scripture. Scriptures are a very specific type of religious text.

Etymology and usage

The term scripture arose as an English translation of Judaeo-Christian usage and was applied, by analogy, to the scriptures of other traditions. It is commonly used in reference to the Christian Bible and Islamic Koran.

• scriptum
• graphai
• ketuvim

See also

• manuscript
• Biblical canon
• Book of Mormon

References

External links

LDS Online Scriptures

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Last updated on Tuesday March 11, 2008 at 00:22:48 PDT (GMT -0700)
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