Feb

15

Not all holy books are the same

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When studying other religions it is important to understand how those within the tradition approach their sacred text(s).  Different religious traditions have different understandings of revelation.   Because of this, believers in the various traditions read their texts differently.  We cannot assume that Muslims approach the Qur’an the same way as we approach the Bible or that Hindus approach the Gita as we approach the Gospels.

For example, in most Hindu and Buddhist traditions the historicity or authenticity of the stories about the Buddha or gods are not a matter of concern since the truths being taught is what matters.  Since Hindus and Buddhists believe that these truths are eternal, it does matter if the actual events described in the text ever happened or not. This would not be the case for the Bible or the Qur’an, which are understood to be historically rooted. If events recorded in the Bible or the Qur’an were shown to not have happened (if this were actually possible) this would be a problem for believers within the two traditions.

Moreover, in some traditions, like in Christianity and Islam, there is one authoritative text, but in other traditions, like Hinduism and Buddhism, there is not an authoritative text.  This is largely due to their understanding of revelation.  In Islam, God dictated the words of the Qur’an to Muhammad, albeit through the mediation of the angel Gabriel.  In Christianity, God inspired the biblical writers.  Thus, although the texts contain the personalities of the various writers, God directed what they wrote.  In contrast to the Muslim and Christian view, most Hindu and Buddhist traditions believe that their sacred texts were written by enlightened people who discovered the eternal truths of the cosmos.

Consequently, when studying other religions, especially their holy books, it is important to first investigate how insiders understand their own texts.