Scriptures, SOL-ZAM

Sacred scriptures of all religions, viewed as the word of God or inspired by God, have influenced the moral and ethical standards of countries, peoples, and religious groups. Their interpretation has long been a subject of discussion and, at times, controversy.
Back To Scriptures Page

Scriptures Encyclopedia Articles By Title

Solomon, Song of
Song of Solomon, an Old Testament book that belongs to the third section of the biblical canon, known as the Ketuvim,......
Solomon, Wisdom of
Wisdom of Solomon, an example of the “wisdom” genre of religious literature, which commends a life of introspection......
Southwell, Robert
Robert Southwell was an English poet and martyr remembered for his saintly life as a Jesuit priest and missionary......
Spurgeon, C.H.
C.H. Spurgeon was an English fundamentalist Baptist minister and celebrated preacher whose sermons, which were......
Sraosha
Sraosha, in Zoroastrianism, divine being who is the messenger of Ahura Mazdā and the embodiment of the divine word.......
Stephen of Perm, Saint
Saint Stephen of Perm ; feast day April 26) was one of the most successful and dynamic missionaries of the Russian......
Streeter, Burnett Hillman
Burnett Hillman Streeter was an English theologian and biblical scholar, noted for his original contributions to......
succubus
succubus, female form of an incubus...
Sulpicius Severus
Sulpicius Severus was an early Christian ascetic, a chief authority for contemporary Gallo-Roman history, who is......
Sulzer, Salomon
Salomon Sulzer was an Austrian Jewish cantor, considered the most important composer of synagogue music in the......
Susanna, The History of
The History of Susanna, apocryphal addition to the Old Testament Book of Daniel; it appears in both the Septuagint......
Suso, Heinrich
Heinrich Suso was one of the chief German mystics and leaders of the Friends of God (Gottesfreunde), a circle of......
sutra
sutra, in Hinduism, a brief aphoristic composition; in Buddhism, a more extended exposition, the basic form of......
Sutta Pitaka
Sutta Pitaka, extensive body of texts constituting the basic doctrinal section of the Buddhist canon—properly speaking,......
Suttanipāta
Suttanipāta, (Pāli: “Collection of Discourses”), one of the earliest books of the Pāli canon (where it appears......
Suyūṭī, al-
al-Suyūṭī was an Egyptian writer and teacher whose works deal with a wide variety of subjects, the Islamic religious......
Symeon the New Theologian, Saint
Saint Symeon the New Theologian was a Byzantine monk and mystic, termed the New Theologian to mark his difference......
Synoptic Gospels
Synoptic Gospels, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke in the New Testament, which present similar narratives......
tafsīr
tafsīr, the science of explanation of the Qurʾān, the sacred scripture of Islam, or of Qurʾānic commentary. So......
Tagore, Debendranath
Debendranath Tagore was a Hindu philosopher and religious reformer, active in the Brahmo Samaj (“Society of Brahma,”......
Tam, Jacob ben Meir
Jacob ben Meir Tam was a French Jew, an outstanding Talmudic authority of his time, who was responsible for a series......
Tanakh
Tanakh, an acronym derived from the names of the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible: Torah (Instruction, or Law,......
Tanner, Henry Ossawa
Henry Ossawa Tanner was an American painter who gained international acclaim for his depiction of landscapes and......
Tao Hongjing
Tao Hongjing was a Chinese poet, calligrapher, physician, naturalist, and the most eminent Daoist of his time.......
Tao-te Ching
Tao-te Ching, classic of Chinese philosophical literature. The name was first used during the Han dynasty (206......
Targum
Targum, (Aramaic: “Translation,” or “Interpretation”), any of several translations of the Hebrew Bible or portions......
Tatian
Tatian was a Syrian compiler of the Diatessaron (Greek: “Through Four,” “From Four,” or “Out of Four”), a version......
Tattvasamgraha Tantra
Tattvasamgraha Tantra, tantra of Chen-yen Buddhism. During the 7th, 8th, and 9th centuries the Vajrayāna forms......
Taylor, Jeremy
Jeremy Taylor was an Anglican clergyman and writer. Taylor was educated at the University of Cambridge and was......
Teresa of Ávila, St
St. Teresa of Ávila ; canonized 1622; feast day October 15) was a Spanish nun, one of the great mystics and religious......
Tertullian
Tertullian was an important early Christian theologian, polemicist, and moralist who, as the initiator of ecclesiastical......
Testamentum Domini
Testamentum Domini, one of a series of writings (including the Apostolic Constitutions and the Apostolic Tradition......
Theodore Of Mopsuestia
Theodore Of Mopsuestia was a Syrian theologian, considered the greatest biblical interpreter of his time and the......
Theodosius I
Theodosius I was a Roman emperor of the East (379–392) and then sole emperor of both East and West (392–395), who,......
Theodotion
Theodotion was a Hellenistic Jewish scholar and linguist and author of a Greek translation of the Old Testament.......
Theragāthā/Therīgāthā
Theragāthā/Therīgāthā, Buddhist lyrics, included in the Suttanipāta (one of the earliest books of the Pāli canon,......
Thessalonians, Letters of Paul to the
Letters of Paul to the Thessalonians, two New Testament letters written by St. Paul the Apostle from Corinth, Achaea......
Thomas à Kempis
Thomas à Kempis was a Christian theologian, the probable author of Imitatio Christi (Imitation of Christ), a devotional......
Thomas, Gospel of
Gospel of Thomas, apocryphal (noncanonical) gospel containing 114 sayings attributed to the resurrected Jesus,......
Thorláksson, Gudbrandur
Gudbrandur Thorláksson was a Reformation scholar and Lutheran bishop who was responsible for the success of Lutheranism......
Thérèse of Lisieux, St
St. Thérèse of Lisieux ; canonized May 17, 1925; feast day October 1) was a Carmelite nun whose service to her......
Timothy, Letters of Paul to
Letters of Paul to Timothy, either of two New Testament writings addressed to St. Timothy, one of St. Paul the......
Timothy, Saint
Saint Timothy ; Western feast day January 24 [in Roman church January 26 with Titus], Eastern feast day January......
Tirmidhī, al-
al-Tirmidhī was an Arab scholar and author of one of the six canonical collections of spoken traditions (Hadith)......
Tischendorf, Konstantin von
Konstantin von Tischendorf was a German biblical critic who made extensive and invaluable contributions to biblical......
Titus, Letter of Paul to
Letter of Paul to Titus, New Testament writing addressed to one of St. Paul the Apostle’s close companions, St.......
Tobit
Tobit, apocryphal work (noncanonical for Jews and Protestants) that found its way into the Roman Catholic canon......
Toland, John
John Toland was a controversial Irish-born British freethinker whose rationalist philosophy forced church historians......
Torah
Torah, in Judaism, in the broadest sense, the substance of divine revelation to Israel, the Jewish people: God’s......
Torrey, Charles Cutler
Charles Cutler Torrey was a U.S. Semitic scholar who held independent and stimulating views on certain biblical......
tosafot
tosafot, (Hebrew: “additions”), critical remarks and notes on selective passages of the Talmud that were written......
Tosefta
Tosefta, (Aramaic: Supplement, or Addition), a collection of oral traditions related to Jewish oral law. In form......
tradition criticism
tradition criticism, in the study of biblical literature, method of criticism of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)......
Traherne, Thomas
Thomas Traherne was the last of the mystical poets of the Anglican clergy, which included most notably George Herbert......
Trinity
Trinity, in Christian doctrine, the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. The......
Tu Kuang-t’ing
Tu Kuang-t’ing was a Taoist scholar of the T’ang period who contributed to the development of Taoist liturgical......
Twelve Patriarchs, Testaments of the
Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, pseudepigraphal work (not in any biblical canon) purporting to present the......
Tyconius
Tyconius, one of the most important biblical theologians of 4th-century North African Latin Christianity. Although......
Tyndale, William
William Tyndale was an English biblical translator, humanist, and Protestant martyr. Tyndale was educated at the......
Uchimura Kanzō
Uchimura Kanzō was a Japanese Christian who was an important formative influence on many writers and intellectual......
Ulfilas
Ulfilas was a Christian bishop and missionary who evangelized the Goths, reputedly created the Gothic alphabet,......
Uriel
Uriel, in the Jewish and Christian Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, a leading angel, sometimes ranked as an archangel......
Ussher, James
James Ussher was an Anglo-Irish prelate of the Anglican church who was memorable for his activity in religious......
Uzziah
Uzziah, in the Old Testament (2 Chronicles 26), son and successor of Amaziah, and king of Judah for 52 years (c.......
Valentinus
Valentinus was an Egyptian religious philosopher and the founder of Roman and Alexandrian schools of gnosticism,......
Vasubandhu
Vasubandhu was an Indian Buddhist philosopher and logician, younger brother of the philosopher Asaṅga. His conversion......
Vatican Council, Second
Second Vatican Council, (1962–65), 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, announced by Pope John......
vaṃsa
vaṃsa, particular class of Buddhist literature that in many ways resembles conventional Western histories. The......
Veda
Veda, a collection of poems or hymns composed in archaic Sanskrit by Indo-European-speaking peoples who lived in......
Vedantadeshika
Vedantadeshika was a leading theologian of the Vishishtadvaita (Qualified Nondualist) school of philosophy and......
Vieira, António
António Vieira was a Jesuit missionary, orator, diplomat, and master of classical Portuguese prose who played an......
Vimalakīrti Sūtra
Vimalakīrti Sūtra, Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtra. It dates from no later than the 3rd century ce, based on its earliest......
Vinaya Piṭaka
Vinaya Piṭaka, (Pāli and Sanskrit: “Basket of Discipline”), the oldest and smallest of the three sections of the......
Visitation
Visitation, the visit, described in the Gospel According to Luke (1:39–56), made by the Virgin Mary, pregnant with......
Visuddhimagga
Visuddhimagga, encyclopedic and masterful summary and exposition of the teaching of the Mahavihara school of Theravada......
Vulgate
Vulgate, (from the Latin editio vulgata, “common version”), Latin Bible used by the Roman Catholic Church, primarily......
Vyasa
Vyasa was a legendary Indian sage who is traditionally credited with composing or compiling the Mahabharata, a......
Vídalín, Jón Thorkelsson
Jón Thorkelsson Vídalín was a Lutheran bishop, best known for his Húss-Postilla (1718–20; “Sermons for the Home”),......
War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness, The
The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness, a Dead Sea Scroll, and one of the most important documents......
Wars of Yahweh, Book of the
Book of the Wars of Yahweh, lost document referred to and quoted in the Old Testament (Num. 21:14ff.). The book......
Waxman, Meyer
Meyer Waxman was a Jewish literary historian, rabbi, educator, and scholar. Trained in Ḥasidic seminaries in Mir......
Weiss, Johannes
Johannes Weiss was a German theologian known for his work in New Testament criticism. He wrote the first eschatological......
Welch, Adam Cleghorn
Adam Cleghorn Welch was one of the greatest Scottish biblical scholars. The son of a United Presbyterian missionary,......
Wellhausen, Julius
Julius Wellhausen was a German biblical scholar best known for his analysis of the structure and dating of the......
Wesley, John
John Wesley was an Anglican clergyman, evangelist, and founder, with his brother Charles, of the Methodist movement......
Westcott, Brooke Foss
Brooke Foss Westcott was an Anglican bishop of Durham, England, and a biblical scholar who collaborated with Fenton......
Westminster Confession
Westminster Confession, confession of faith of English-speaking Presbyterians. It was produced by the Westminster......
Weymouth, Richard Francis
Richard Francis Weymouth was a philologist and biblical scholar who made one of the major 20th-century translations......
William De La Mare
William De La Mare was an English philosopher and theologian, advocate of the traditional Neoplatonic-Augustinian......
William of Auxerre
William of Auxerre was a French philosopher-theologian who contributed to the adaptation of classical Greek philosophy......
Woolman, John
John Woolman was a British-American Quaker leader and abolitionist whose Journal is recognized as one of the classic......
Wycliffe, John
John Wycliffe was an English theologian, philosopher, church reformer, and promoter of the first complete translation......
Xuanzang
Xuanzang was a Buddhist monk and Chinese pilgrim to India who translated the sacred scriptures of Buddhism from......
Yahweh
Yahweh, name for the God of the Israelites, representing the biblical pronunciation of “YHWH,” the Hebrew name......
Yahwist source
Yahwist source, (labeled J after the German transliteration of YHWH), an early source that provides a strand of......
Yajurveda
Yajurveda, collection of mantras (sacred formulas) and verses that forms part of the ancient sacred literature......
Yili
Yili, the “Book of Ritual,” a collection of Chinese rituals probably compiled during the Western Han dynasty (206......
Zamakhsharī, Abu al-Qāsim Maḥmūd ibn ʿUmar al-
Abu al-Qāsim Maḥmūd ibn ʿUmar al-Zamakhsharī was a Persian-born Arabic scholar whose chief work is Al-Kashshāf......

Scriptures Encyclopedia Articles By Title