Sacred Texts (Scripture)
Cole, W.O, Six Religions in the 20 th
Century
Cox, J.L, (2010) An Introduction to the Phenomenology of Religion
Coward, H, Sacred Word and Sacred Text
Kramer, K, (1986) World Scriptures: An Introduction to Comparative Religion
The term Scripture hails from a Latin word
“scriptura”
which literally refers to the act of writing. It commonly denotes a sacred written text of a religion. H. Coward regards scripture as “the writings accepted by, and used in a religious community as especially sacred and authoritative because it is believed to be revealed in some way. Many contain words given to a leader by God or the writer was religiously inspired. It also reveals what is holy or true about the cosmos and human existence (this is why it is sacred and authoritative).
Scripture: by denoting something written has an obvious limitation of excluding non-literary scripture although some of these non literary scriptures have been passed from one generation to another, for example, African Traditional Religions. They have no written texts, but pass their teaching through oral transmission. Knowledge is stored in collective memory of the
Africans. The elders of the family and sacred practitioners like the traditional healers become the custodians of traditions and are consultants in social, moral religious/cultural and even political matters. Because they do not have written scripture of their own ATRS are not concerned about orthodoxy (Right Belief). They put emphasis on orthopraxis (Right Acton)
That Africans are non literate and therefore inferior to scriptural traditions is debatable. Is a religion measured on the basis of literacy?
All texts are developed in a process incorporating some oral traditions. Sacred texts are transmitted orally before they are committed to paper. H.D, Turner in his work “Aboriginal
Religions as World Religions” argues that literacy post-dated illiteracy in world history. This means that the oral stage is just as crucial as the literary stage. However, there is a tendency to value the written word over the oral traditions. H. Coward postulates that Scripture should include both the oral and the written word. Other religions even give primacy to oral scripture than the written scripture, for example, Islam.
J.L, Cox, (1996) argues that the general process by which scriptures are developed follows three stages:
1.
The occurrence of the sacred events- Eliade calls this the “ hierophany
” that is, the manifestation of the divine/sacred. The sacred manifests itself to an individual. This is the moment of the breaking of the sacred into mundane world through the ordinary forms.

2.
Telling of the sacred stories or about sacred events and the re-living of these events through rituals. This constitutes the oral scripture. The oral scripture is contained in the myths, proverbs, folklores and tales of the non literate society.
3.
The third stage is of the production of the written text based on what has been passed on orally.
Religions and their Sacred Texts
Islam- Qu’ran/Koran (Recitation), Hadith and The Sunnah
Christianity- The Bible
Judaim-The Torah
Hinduism-The Vedas, Mahabharata,
Buddhism-Tripitakas

BELIEF AND FAITH
What is Belief?
We regard belief as an interpretive category. Belief can help us to understand certain religious dimensions. It can be regarded as a paradigm for interpreting the meaning of the religious phenomena. Some argue that we cannot write an adequate history of religion without the use of the concept of belief. Belief therefore is a dominant principle in religious studies. Religion is expressed in one form by beliefs about god or the gods, human beings, the nature of the cosmos, the purpose of life. Religious beliefs are an important aspect of the study of religion.
Definitional Problems
We need a careful definition of the term belief. The term is AMBIGUOUS; as a result, many definitions are possible. We should consider the context in which the term is used.
Diversity of the usage of the term Belief
-Belief as a tentative attitude or opinion to be contrasted with certain knowledge, “I believe so, I do not know for sure.’
-Belief as recognition that something is the case, “you better believe it, it’s as plain as the nose on your nose.”
-Belief as personal disposition to TRUST, or have confidence in, “I believe in you Jane, so I am giving you my keys.”
-Belief as characteristics of a person who has been persuaded, or led to a conviction, “You are making a believer out of me.”
This diversity points to the need for a working definition of BELIEF.
THESIS : There is a distinction between BELIEF and FAITH. The two are not identical.
FAITH is the experience of the SACRED/HOLY. BELIEFS are an expression of FAITH.
Using Faith and Belief interchangeably, that is, as synonyms is adequate. Religious Beliefs attempt to express the experience of the SACRED. These beliefs attempt to communicate something of the unrestricted value.
FAITH according to W.C, Smith is an existential openness towards the transcendent. It is a religious response that involves the whole PERSON. Faith cannot be objectified and is open for scientific investigation. We can never adequately define faith in words.
BELIEF is a THOUGHT about the faith’s reality. It describes faith. Beliefs are cognitive, intellectual articulations of the reality fond in the FAITH experience. All doctrines are beliefs . Beliefs represent thoughts, ideas, opinions, intellectual formulations about the

ULTIMATE. They change; determined by one’s century. Beliefs can become inadequate.
They may no longer introduce people to FAITH or enable people to interpret FAITH adequately. PROBLEM- Sometimes religious people tend to defend beliefs when they are not adequate. Sometimes they make the beliefs the end or goal of religious striving. If we make beliefs the object of religious experience, FAITH will be destroyed. Sometimes beliefs are discarded, they need to be reinterpreted; they need expanding, for example, to the victim of innocent suffering, personal tragedy that god is love may become untenable to this person.
(The HOLOCAUST- murder of 5 million Jews in WW11.)
Beliefs therefore must retain a dynamic character. Religious persons should develop beliefs relevant to their life in current circumstances.
TYPES OF BELIEFS
Numinological Beliefs
These beliefs assume that there is a religious object or ideal. This object is regarded as the ground and goal of all existence. It is the source of all that is, and it defines the destiny of all that is. M, Eliade calls the ideal the SACRED, W.C, Smith calls it the transcendent, J.L, Cox calls it the unrestricted value or the ultimate reality. They focus on the nature of the
SACRED. They convey an understanding of the sacred and its significance for the believers.
Since the Sacred is trans-human and trans-historical believers use metaphors to depict the characteristics of the Sacred. These are beliefs about the specific nature of the Sacred, Divine or Holy. Is the Sacred personal or impersonal? Is it one or many? Is it eternal temporal loving or indifferent. Is it an aspect separate from nature, individuals or groups? They also use imagery to translate the unfamiliar into something they can understand.
Anthropological Beliefs
These are assertions about the nature of HUMANITY- is the human body soul, spirit, or a combination? Are we products of evolution? They are beliefs that are preoccupied with formulating the nature and origin of the body. Is the human being mortal, immortal or both?
Do we experience more than one life on earth, heaven, hell? They focus on the origin, the nature and destiny of man. They also focus on man’s position in relation to the Sacred. They are beliefs about the person/self. Who are we, where did we come from and where are we heading for?
Soteriological Beliefs
These are beliefs that indicate means by which salvation, liberation or final human fulfilment is achieved. Is it an act of divine grace or if secured by human effort or both? Is salvation a

phenomenon of individuals or community is the focus? Does reward judgment or punishment play a role?
These are beliefs about salvation. The central conviction is that existence /life is separated from the sacred by a certain problem or by some defect. They also assume that existence can be distorted and that there is a deep need in religious people for a form of life lived in relation to the Sacred. There is also a need for the removal of the problem that separates man from the
Sacred. They assume the presence of certain human fundamental problems. They also assume a deliverer or power that overcomes the fundamental human problems/ stubborn obstacles.
For religious people all of life is not well in the world. The life of man is distorted. There is the “reality of evil.” The concept of fundamental human problems can be regarded as a powerful tool for the comparative interpretation of world religion. What according to each religion is the fundamental human problem? What are the resolutions?
The Relationship between the three types of Beliefs
Phenomenologists of religion uphold the idea that numinological beliefs are primary because they shape and affect both anthropological and soteriological beliefs. We evaluate ourselves in the light of what we regard as being the Sacred. The way of salvation is prescribed in relation to the sacred. Psychologists and sociologists of religion regard soterilogical beliefs as the primary (projectionist theories). They maintain that people begin by encountering certain fundamental human problems and then project gods/sacred onto the world. These people do not uphold the transcendental origin of religion. We will be forced to assume that the believer is always right and argue for the phenomenologist of religion that numinological beliefs are primary since we have assumed the phenomenological stance. In light of our definition of belief, should we continue to say the believer is always right or to sat the faithful is always right?
Cosmological Beliefs
These are beliefs about the nature of the world. They pose question such as: was the world created intentionally or it is an accident? Is it real or illusory, temporal or eternal? Is there an underworld, hell, heaven or paradise? Is it regarded as good, bad, ambiguous or a combination of these?
Sociological Beliefs
These are beliefs that are preoccupied with the relationship of the individual to the group: how an individual is or should be related to the group, the rules that are expected in this group. How is the individual related to the family? What is the relationship of the sacred practitioners to their communities? Are the communities the locus of salvation?

Religious beliefs become a VISION of life. Beliefs make a difference for the life of the believer. They shape the THINKING and INTENTIONAL response of the believer to the situation that makes up their life. Beliefs give overall orientation to life. Beliefs are VISIONS of life-interpreting the meaning of life itself.