Canonical Texts: Bearers of Absolute Authority : Bible, Koran, Veda, Tipiṭaka : a Phenomenological StudyRodopi, 1994 - 337 pages This book introduces a new approach to the comparative study of sacred texts - here the Christian Bible, the Islamic Koran, the Hindu Veda and the Buddhist Tipiaka. The author demonstrates that, in spite of their great differences, these works show a fundamental analogy.Considered as canonical within their own religious context, each text possesses absolute authority in comparison with other authoritative texts from their respective religious traditions. This fundamental analogy allows one to describe the growth and history of these canons, step by step, as a process that takes place in analogous phases that are clearly distinguishable. The author follows a strictly phenomenological method: he tries to understand the development of these canons in terms of a potential that lies within the phenomena themselves, i.e. the texts, while refraining in any way from assessing their claim to absolute authority. In part I the author describes the development from the 'revelation' of the texts to a climax with respect to reflection on the canons. This climax has been reached in all four cases. Part II investigates the crisis that these canons are currently undergoing as a consequence of the modern intellectual climate. Can we expect that this crisis will be overcome by the canons? And if so, will they be in a position of mutual exclusion or will they form a sort of unity such as, for example, the Old and New Testament in the Christian Bible? Finally the author traces what the religions themselves have postulated about the future of their respective canons. The result is surprising: the current crisis is only faint reflection of what, according to age-old predictions, awaits the canons in the future. |
Contents
13 | |
ACTUALIZATION | 45 |
CONCEPTUALIZATION | 172 |
Towards a Second Climax? | 175 |
CRISIS AND RECONCEPTUALIZATION | 177 |
Koran | 218 |
Veda | 245 |
Tipitaka | 261 |
Analogy | 293 |
CONCLUSION | 295 |
Koran | 296 |
Veda | 298 |
Tipitaka | 299 |
Analogy | 301 |
303 | |
313 | |
Analogy | 277 |
ONE CANON FOR THE FUTURE? | 279 |
Koran | 283 |
Veda | 285 |
Tipitaka | 290 |
321 | |
322 | |
331 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Abduh Abhidhamma According Advaita al-Sīd Allah already apostles appears argument Arkoun ascribed Atā Barth Baur Bavinck Bible Bodhesako Brahman Buddha Buddhadāsa Buddhaghosa Buddhism Bultmann Campenhausen canon Canon Muratori Christian Church cited completely concept concerning critical Darśanas Dayananda Dhamma Dharmapāla divine doctrine eternal exegesis fact Fazlur Rahman Gabaude Gerhard Gospel hermeneutical Herméneutique bouddhique historical Hodge and Warfield Holy Spirit human Ibn Hanbal Ibn Taymiyya inerrancy inspiration interpretation Islamic Jayanta Jesus Christ Khalaf Allah knowledge Koran language later Lord Luther Mahāyāna meaning Metzger Mīmāmsā modern Mohammed Mongkut monks Moslems Nyaya Old Testament origin Pāli prescriptions Prophet question recitation refers rejected relation religion respect revelation Ṛgveda Ṛta samhitās Sangha Sankara Schrift Scripture Semler Shabbir Smrti sola scriptura speaks śrauta Sri Lanka śruti suttas teaching term Theologie Theravada tion Tipitaka tradition truth upaniṣads Veda Vedic view of Scripture word of Allah word of Buddha
Popular passages
Page 17 - The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
Page 17 - That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
Page 17 - We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.