How did translations of the Bible help Christianity spread across the world? Why do Muslims fast during Ramadan? And how do Hindus choose whom to worship from a vast array of gods and goddesses? Discovering Sacred Texts explores the richness and diversity of the world’s great faiths, and the deep connections and common threads that link them.
Dr Scot McKendrick looks at manuscripts of the Bible prior to the invention of printing, exploring their contents and uses and answering the question of why there are so few manuscripts of the whole Bible.
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The Qur’an, the sacred text of Islam, is believed to be the Word of God as revealed to the Prophet. Here Dr Mustafa Shah describes the historical context of its revelation, its transmission and codification and its shared spiritual heritage with the other main Abrahamic faiths.
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Professor Peter Harvey recounts the life and teachings of the Buddha, as well as considering the role that the Buddha plays in the deferent branches of Buddhism and how his teachings have been collected.
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The multiple gods and goddesses of Hinduism are a distinctive feature of the religion. However, Professor Julius Lipner explains that Hinduism cannot be considered polytheistic and discusses the way in which Hindu culture and sacred texts conceptualise the deities, as well as their role in devotional faith.
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The Guru Granth Sahib plays an integral part in the lives Sikhs. Eleanor Nesbitt describes the rituals that surround it and its role in the daily lives and life cycle rites of Sikhs, also exploring Sikh daily prayer, devotional songs and festivals.
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Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest living world-religions. Professor Almut Hintze explores its history and some of the key components of the religion: its beliefs, sacred texts and rituals.
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Peter Smith looks at the central features of the Baha’i Faith, including its history, and the key beliefs, organisation and world-view of the Baha’i community.
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Professor Nalini Balbir introduces the Jain religion, describing its key features, practices and expressions of faith.
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Professor Susan Doran discusses Henry VIII and the Reformation, looking at the Catholic devotional texts that were owned by the king, his break with the Catholic Church and the development of the English Bible following the Reformation.
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Rabbi Johnny Solomon explores the role of prayer within Jewish tradition, looking at its history, development and use within worship and rituals.
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Hajj is the most well-known pilgrimage in Islam. Here Dr Sophia Arjana discusses its role in the religion, whilst also looking at Shi‘a and regional pilgrimages, sainthood and sacred space in Islam.
Read moreExplore the sacred texts of the world’s great faiths by theme.
All faiths have their origins in texts, be they the word of God as revealed to prophets, oral stories retold by one generation to another over centuries, or written down in books. Explore the origins and developments of the world’s major faiths.
Read moreExplore the sacred texts of the world’s great faiths.
2nd quarter of the 4th century–3rd quarter of the 4th century
c. 1320-1330
Mid-19th century
9th century
18th century
1828–30
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