Reading the Sacred Scriptures: From Oral Tradition to Written Documents and Their Reception

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Reading the Sacred Scriptures: From Oral Tradition to Written Documents and their Reception examines how the scriptures came to be written and how their authority has been constructed and reinforced over time. Highlighting the measures taken to safeguard the stability of oral accounts, this book demonstrates the care of religious communities to maintain with reverence their assembled parchments and scrolls. Written by leading experts in their fields, this collection chronicles the development of the scriptures from oral tradition to written documents and their reception. It features notable essays on the scriptures of Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, Daoism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Shinto, and Baha'i. This book will fascinate anyone interested in the belief systems of the featured religions. It offers an ideal starting point from which undergraduate and postgraduate religious studies students, teachers and lecturers can explore religious traditions from their historical beginnings. Review The accessible and erudite, thought-through chapters of this book open up the foundational scriptures of the world religions and illumine their history of effects in the practices and self-understandings of their own traditions, and in their encounter with other religions and cultures. A first-class, thorough and original book for teaching and learning about the varied ways in which religions relate to their foundational scriptures, bringing together experts on these texts and their hermeneutics in different eras. Maureen Junker-Kenny, Trinity College, Ireland. About the Author Fiachra Long is a philosopher and Senior Lecturer in Education at University College Cork where he is Head of School. Siobhán Dowling Long is a Lecturer in Education at University College Cork. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Illustrations Tables Contributors Preface Acknowledgements 1 The hermeneutic task The functions of the scriptures Reading layered texts The allegorical method The literalist method The hermeneutic task today Conclusion Note References Part I 2 Zoroastrian narrative: From the Avesta to the Book of Kings The Iranians The Avesta The Achaemenids The Sasanians Transmission Orality The Indo-European roots Iranian mythoepic narratives The heroic era Era of the kawis Eastern connections Kawi Vishtāspa and Zarathustra Zarathustra, Semiramis and Babylon Reception in western scholarship Notes References 3 How the Hebrew Bible came to be Introduction What is the Hebrew Bible? Structure of the TaNaK The Bible’s “originating event” How old is the Hebrew Bible? How does one access the text of the Hebrew Bible? How the text of the Hebrew Bible came to be Phase one: oral/written units Phase two: the earliest attested text Phase three: the consonantal Hebrew text of approximately 100 ce Phase four: the great Masoretic manuscripts of ± 1000 ce The contribution of the early versions Hebrew Bible textual studies today Notes References 4 Mishnah and midrash as process: The evolution of post-biblical Jewish Scriptures Introduction – the evolution of Judaism Academy and synagogue, mishnah and midrash From Bible to mishnah Extra-biblical literature The history of the Oral Torah Hillel and the development of Oral Torah The Mishnah First mishnah passage: the time for evening prayer Second mishnah passage: the economic claims of a wife upon her husband’s estate The Midrash First midrash: Torah as Logos The compassion of God Who is in the Jewish communion with God? Conclusion References 5 How the early Christians read the Hebrew Scriptures The Hebrew Scriptures The early Christians Paul’s own use of the Hebrew Scriptures Matthew Hebrews The second century and beyond Conclusion References 6 Reading the Sacred Scriptures: Some evidence from early Christian Ireland Setting the scene Scope Excavations Reading the codices of the Scriptures Liturgy Canon law Teaching Exegesis Imagination Conclusions Notes References 7 Reading The Song of Songs: A Jewish and Christian love affair Introduction The Song of Songs in the Christian Church The origins of the Song of Songs The Middle Ages More recent readings Notes References 8 Mis-reading the Qur’ān: A non-Muslim pitfall? Introduction: mis-reading the Qur’ān? Islam The beginning of revelation Chapter, verse and other divisions Some Islamic doctrines on the Qur’ān: inimitable, unclassifiable and untranslatable Muslim interpretation of the Qur’ā n: the science of Tafsīr The Qur’ān: key themes The Qur’ān as a physical object: etiquette and respect Conclusion Notes References 9 Modern approaches to the Qur’ān Introduction: interpreting the Qur’ān Early Islamic modernists in the nineteenth century: Sayyid Ahmad Khan and Muhammad ‘Abduh The Qur’ān and political Islam in the twentieth century: Abu Al-A’la Mawdudi and Sayyid Qutb Liberal approaches to the Qur’ān Feminist interpretations of the Qur’ān Conclusion Note References 10 The reading of Scripture: A Baha’i approach Basic facts about the Baha’i Faith The claim of Baha’u’llah Reading the Scriptures An example of Baha’u’llah’s reading of Scripture The place of scriptural commentary in the writings of Baha’u’llah The conversation of scriptures Conclusion Notes References Part II 11 Hinduism and its basic texts: The Vedas, Upanishads, Epics and Puranas Hinduism’s main principles Principal texts The Vedas The Rig Veda Yajur Veda Sama Veda Atharva Veda Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads Associated literature Later developments The Epics and Puranas The Mahabharata The Ramayana The Puranas Other trends in Hinduism Notes References 12 The Buddhist reading of Scripture The Baskets Evolution The Sutra of the Lotus References 13 Reading the Scripture from the Sikh tradition: The Guru Granth Sahib Intimacy with the sacred text Historical process Reading the singular divine Reading is praxis Platter of truth, contentment, and reflection Feminist hermeneutics Familiarizing with the other Scriptural passages Notes References 14 Confucianism and its texts Early times, early texts The Han dynasty 206 bce – 220 ce The Middle Ages Modern China Conclusion Notes References 15 The Daodejing as a sacred text How the DDJ came into being The DDJ: testifying to the way of sacrality The DDJ’s spiritual authority Notes References 16 Sacred texts of the Shinto tradition: Historical sources of myth and ritual The study of Japanese mythology The classical Japanese texts The Kojiki (古事記: “Records of Ancient Matters”): The Nihonshoki (日本書紀: “Chronicles of Japan”): The mythology of creation Distinctive aspects of the mythology The relationship between kami and humanity Life, death, purity, and impurity The Engishiki (延喜式 the Book of the Era of Engi, 901–23 ce) Succeeding eras Conclusion References Part III 17 The Book of Isaiah and its readers: The exegetical value of reception history “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1: 18) Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12) An oracle concerning Moab (Isaiah 16–17) The Destruction of Sennacherib (Isaiah 36–37) “Here I am, here I am” (Isaiah 65: 1–2) Notes References 18 The madness of King Saul: An interpretation of I Samuel 9–31 in music Introduction King Saul in Christian tradition The person of Saul Insiders and outsiders Saul’s dysfunctional relationship with his children Merab Michal Jonathan Saul’s mental illness The evil spirit and the mystical effect of music therapy The story of David’s combat with Goliath Saul’s search for David The priests of Nob The reception of Psalm 52 in music David spares Saul’s life on two occasions Saul’s night visit to the Witch of Endor Le Roi David In Guilty Night The Battle of Gilboa: Saul’s suicide Tsar Saul: Pes’n Saula pered boyem The ambiguity over Saul’s death The desecration of Saul’s body The Chronicler’s account David’s lament over Jonathan and Saul Conclusion Notes References 19 Parallel narrative methods: Ramayana in the arts of Southeast Asia Strategies of storytelling in India Transmission of Indian culture to Southeast Asia Early renderings of the Ramayana in coastal and insular Southeast Asia Localization of the Ramayana in Java and Bali Transformations of the Ramayana in mainland Southeast Asia Epic as a performance today Notes References Index