A Wisdom Archive on Holy Scriptures

Islam: The Four Phases of Islamic Thought
Islamic thought, Shariah and Fiqh as it exists today has metamorphosed through various processes and stages before reaching us. Basically all the religions have two stages. The initial phase is the foundation, the period of the founder of the religion.
 

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Sanskrit literature can be classified under six orthodox heads and four secular heads. The six orthodox sections form the authoritative scriptures of the Hindus. The four secular sections embody the later developments in classical Sanskrit literature.
 
The six scriptures are: Srutis, Smritis, Itihasas, Puranas, Agamas and Darsanas.
 
The four secular writings are: Subhashitas, Kavyas, Natakas and Alankaras.
 
Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda
 

Read more here: » Hindu Scriptures: A full overview of the Hindu and Vedic Scriptures

Jaina Kalpasutra - A Visual Treat
The Kalpasutra is held in great honour especially by the Svetambara sect of Jainism. A work in Prakrit, its composition is originally attributed to the celebrated author Bhadrabahu (BC 433 to 357).
 
The Kalpasutra shows the early stage of the development of Jainism, the succession of pontiffs and the rules for Jaina monks during the four months of monsoon or chaturmasa when the monks are not on the move. The text records the five auspicious events - the descent from heaven, birth, initiation, obtaining of omniscience, and death - and many legends of the last three Pathfinders or Tirthankaras: Aristanemi, Parsvanatha, and Mahavira, and those of Rishabhanatha, the first of the 24 Tirthankaras. The arrangement of Bhadrabahu's book moves back in time.
 

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The Vedas 
The Vedas are the Divine scriptures of ancient India and in modern times can be traced as least as far back as 12,OOO B.C. a lthough it is generally accepted tat the Vedas appear at different times of the cosmic creation forte benefit of human society. They are considered to be the revelations of the Divine nature, and its relationship within and without us. "Mantra" is the term used to mean Divine sound vibration or the word of God. There are teachings of mantras (hymns), teachings of ritual, theology, and philosophy at the root of all the vedic sciences. The point of all is the knowledge of the soul called "atma vidya", being our real "self" and separate and distinct from the material body , and the material world which surrounds us.
 

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Saint Ambrose, (Latin: Sanctus Ambrosius; Italian: Sant'Ambrogio) (c 340–4 April 397), bishop of Milan, was one of the most eminent bishops of the 4th century. Together with Augustine of Hippo, Jerome, and Gregory I, he his counted one of the four doctors of the West of antique church history. Ambrose - Life. Ambrosians Ambrose - Worldly career. Ambrose was a citizen of Rome, born about 337–340 in Trier, Germany, into a Christia ... Including:

• Ambrose - Life
• Ambrose - Worldly career
• Ambrose - Bishop of Milan
• Ambrose - Ambrose and Arians
• Ambrose - Ambrose and emperors
• Ambrose - Character
• Ambrose - Theology
• Ambrose - Writings
• Ambrose - Church Music
• Ambrose - Ambrose and reading

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Jared is a popular masculine prænomen (in the United States and other countries) of Biblical derivation, etymologically of the Hebrew language. Translated it means "descent", denoting both 'descendent' and 'to fall'. In the Hebrew it is written ירד / יֶרֶד / יָרֶד, pronounced yĕ\yā́-rĕḏ. When transliterated into the English language it can be written Jared / Jarod / Jered (among other variations), being generally pronounced as dʒĕ-rĕd\rəd; according to classic Biblical pronunciation (denoted by syllabic

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If the imperial court was displeased with the religious principles and conduct of Ambrose, it respected his great political talents; and when necessity required, his aid was solicited and generously granted. When Magnus Maximus usurped the supreme power in Gaul, and was meditating a descent upon Italy, Valentinian sent Ambrose to dissuade him from the undertaking, and the embassy was successful. On a second attempt of the same kind Ambrose was again employed; and although he was unsuccessful, it cannot be doubted that, if his advice h ...

Read more here: » Ambrose: Encyclopedia II - Ambrose - Ambrose and emperors

The Movement's first initiative was to publish Y Cylchgrawn Efengylaidd (The Evangelical Magazine), first published in 1948. The magazine was originally published in Welsh and soon after a sister magazine was published in English. The General Secretary of the Movement for 45 years and one of its founders was Rev J. Elwyn Davies, he stated: the Movement became a focus for fellowship, nurture and service for Christians who found themselves placed at a considerable disadvantage in churches and denominations which, to a very considerable extent, had dep ...

Read more here: » Evangelical Movement of Wales: Encyclopedia II - Evangelical Movement of Wales - History

Background Christianity Protestant Reformation Apostolic Succession Roman Catholicism People Thomas Cranmer Henry VIII Richard Hooker Governance Episcopal structure Lambeth Conferences Archbishop of Canterbury Liturgy and Worship Book of Common Prayer High Church · Low Church Broad Church Ox ...

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The Jewish interpretation is that Onan spilt his seed, and therefore was deserving of the death penalty (see e.g. Babylonian Talmud tractate Niddah 13a). The narrative is cited as a reason for the ban on both masturbation and coitus interruptus, as the main sin was the spilling of semen. Medieval Catholic authors also understood the activities of God in this story as a condemnation of masturbation and/or contraception, and traditionally put the entire or virtually the entire impetus of their inte ...

Read more here: » Onan: Encyclopedia II - Onan - Interpretations