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- Dictionaryscripture/ˈskrɪptʃə/
noun
- 1. the sacred writings of Christianity contained in the Bible: "passages of scripture"
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Scripture is the plural of scripture, which means the books of the Bible or a passage from them. It can also mean a body of writings considered sacred or authoritative by a religion.
- Overview
- Characteristics
- Scriptures in non-Western religions
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scripture, the revered texts, or Holy Writ, of the world’s religions. Scriptures comprise a large part of the literature of the world. They vary greatly in form, volume, age, and degree of sacredness, but their common attribute is that their words are regarded by the devout as sacred. Sacred words differ from ordinary words in that they are believe...
Most sacred scriptures were originally oral and were passed down through memorization from generation to generation until they were finally committed to writing. A few are still preserved orally, such as the hymns of Native Americans. Many bear the unmistakable marks of their oral origin and can best be understood when recited aloud; in fact, it is still held by many Hindus and Buddhists that their scriptures lack, when read silently, the meaning and significance they have when recited aloud, for the human voice is believed to add to the recited texts dimensions of truth and power not readily grasped by the solitary reader.
Not all scriptures, however, were originally oral, nor were they in all parts directly effectual in rituals that sought the granting of magical and spiritual powers. The greater part of recorded scripture has either a narrative or an expository character. The types of sacred and semisacred texts are, in fact, many and varied. Besides magical runes (ancient Germanic alphabet characters) and spells from primitive and ancient sources, they include hymns, prayers, chants, myths, stories about gods and heroes, epics, fables, sacred laws, directions for the conduct of rituals, the original teachings of major religious figures, expositions of these teachings, moral anecdotes, dialogues of seers and sages, and philosophical discussions. In fact, scriptures include every form of literature capable of expressing religious feeling or conviction.
A striking instance of making a distinction between canonical and semicanonical scriptures occurs in Hinduism. The Hindu sacred literature is voluminous and varied; it contains ancient elements and every type of religious literature that has been listed, except historical details on the lives of the seers and sages who produced it. Its earliest portions, namely the four ancient Vedas (hymns), seem to have been provided by Indo-European families in northwestern India in the 2nd millennium bce. These and the supplements to them composed after 1000 bce—the Brahmanas (commentaries and instruction in ritual), the Aranyakas (forest books of ascetics), and the Upanishads (philosophical treatises)—are considered more sacred than any later writings. They are collectively referred to as Shruti (“Heard”; i.e., communicated by revelation), whereas the later writings are labeled Smriti (“Remembered”; i.e., recollected and reinterpreted at some distance in time from the original revelations). The former are canonical and completed, not to be added to nor altered, but the latter are semicanonical and semisacred.
Buddhist sacred literature recollects Gautama Buddha’s life and teaching in the 6th century bce and first appeared in the dialect called Pali, allied to the Magadhi that he spoke. As time passed and his movement spread beyond India, Buddhism adopted as its medium Sanskrit, the Indian classical language that was widely used in ancient Asia. A distinction arose between the Theravada (“Way of the Elders”), preserved in Pali and regarded as canonical, and the vast number of works written in Sanskrit within the more widely dispersed Buddhism called by its adherents Mahayana (“Greater Vehicle”). The Mahayana works were later translated and further expanded in Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese.
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Scripture is the sacred literature of the world's religions, regarded as divine or authoritative by the devout. Learn about the characteristics, types, and examples of scriptures in different traditions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Apr 19, 2023 · Scripture is the Bible, the inspired and authoritative word of God that reveals his grace and redemption in Jesus Christ. Learn how Christians have understood and interpreted Scripture for 2,000 years and how it relates to Jesus as the Word of God.
Scripture is the term for the sacred books of the Old and New Testaments, inspired by God and authoritative for Christians. Learn the meaning, usage and sources of Scripture from various Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias.
Scripture is the holy writings of a religion, especially the Bible. Learn how to use the word scripture in different contexts and languages, and see related words and phrases.
Scripture is the sacred writings of the Old or New Testaments or both together, or any book or piece of writing regarded as sacred by a particular religious group. Learn more about the origin, usage, and examples of scripture from Dictionary.com.
Mar 10, 2024 · The purpose of scripture is to provide guidance and direction on how to live in accordance with God’s will. The Bible contains teachings on a wide range of topics, including how to approach relationships, business dealings, even parenting. It provides a moral and ethical framework for living, and its principles can be applied to any situation.
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