List of religious texts

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The following is a non-exhaustive list of links to specific religious texts which may be used for further, more in-depth study.

Bronze Age

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Pyramid texts from Teti I's pyramid.

Classical antiquity

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The Cippus of Perugia, 3rd or 2nd century BCE

East Asian religions

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Muism

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Iranian religions

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Yasna 28.1 (Bodleian MS J2)

Zoroastrianism

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Primary religious texts (the Avesta collection):

  • The Yasna, the primary liturgical collection, includes the Gathas.
  • The Visperad, a collection of supplements to the Yasna.
  • The Yashts, hymns in honor of the divinities.
  • The Vendidad, describes the various forms of evil spirits and ways to confound them.
  • shorter texts and prayers, the Yashts the five Nyaishes ("worship, praise"), the Sirozeh and the Afringans (blessings).

There are some 60 secondary religious texts, none of which are considered scripture. The most important of these are:

For general use by the laity:

  • The Zend (lit.'commentaries'), various commentaries on and translations of the Avesta.
  • The Khordeh Avesta, Zoroastrian prayer book for lay people from the Avesta.

Yarsanism

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Yazidi

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The true core texts of the Yazidi religion that exist today are the hymns, known as qawls. Spurious examples of so-called "Yazidi religious texts" include the Yazidi Black Book and the Yazidi Book of Revelation, which are believed to have been forged in the early 20th century; the Yazidi Black Book, for instance, is thought to be a combination of genuine Yazidi beliefs and Western forgeries.[1][2]

South Asian Religion

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Ancient style of scripture used for the Pāli Canon
The Chinese Diamond Sutra, the oldest known dated printed book in the world, printed in the 9th year of Xiantong Era of the Tang dynasty, or 868 CE.
The Bhagavad Gita is Krishna's counsel to Arjuna on the battlefield of the Kurukshetra.
Illuminated Guru Granth folio with Mul Mantar (basic religion mantra) with signature of Guru Gobind Singh.

Buddhism

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Theravada Buddhism:

East Asian Mahayana:

Tibetan Buddhism:

Hinduism

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Śruti:

Smriti:

In Purva Mimamsa:

In Vedanta (Uttar Mimamsa):

In Yoga:

In Samkhya:

  • Samkhya Sutras of Kapila

In Nyaya:

In Vaisheshika:

  • Vaisheshika Sutras of Kanada

In Vaishnavism:

In Shaktism:

In Kashmir Saivism:

In Pashupata Shaivism:

In Shaiva Siddhanta:

  • 28 Shaiva Agamas
  • Tirumurai (canon of 12 works)
  • Meykandar Shastras (canon of 14 works)

In Gaudiya Vaishnavism:

Krishna-karnamrita:

In Lingayatism:

In Kabir Panth:

In Dadu Panth:

In Ayyavazhi:

Akilattirattu Ammanai:

Arul Nool:

Jainism

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Śvetāmbara:

  • 11 Angas
    • Secondary
      • 12 Upangas, 4 Mula-sutras, 6 Cheda-sutras, 2 Culika-sutras, 10 Prakirnakas

Digambara

Nonsectarian/Nonspecific:

  • Jina Vijaya
  • Tattvartha Sutra
  • GandhaHasti Mahabhashya (authoritative and oldest commentary on the Tattvartha Sutra)
  • Four Anuyogas (the four vedas of Jainism)

Ravidassia

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Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji, the holy book contains the following hymns: Raga – Siri (1), Gauri (5), Asa (6), Gujari (1), Sorath (7), Dhanasari (3), Jaitsari (1), Suhi (3), Bilaval (2), Gaund (2), Ramkali (1), Maru (2), Kedara (1), Bhairau (1), Basant (1), and Malhar (3). The book contains 140 shabads, 40 pade, and 231 salok.[3] There are 177 pages in all of the book.

Sikhism

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Satpanth

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Abrahamic religions

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A Sefer Torah opened for liturgical use in a synagogue service
11th century North African Qur'an in the British Museum
Christian Bible, 1407 handwritten copy
1841, first European (London) edition of the Book of Mormon, at the Springs Preserve museum, Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Bible (left) and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (right) serve as the pastor of the Christian Science church.


Azalism (Religion of Bayan)

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  • Writings of the Báb
    • Persian Bayán 19,000 verses
    • Arabic Bayán 500 verses
    • Kitabul Asma'(also called The third Bayan and Haft Sha'n) the Largest Abrahimic Scripture composed of 25,000 pages of 60,000 revealed verses
    • Risalat al Raj'a 170 verses
    • Panj Sha'n 8360 verses
    • Dalail Sab'aa 1100 verses
    • Kitab al Haykal 160 verses
    • Qayum al Asma' 4700 verses
    • Tafsir al basmalah 157 verses
    • Tafsir al Qasida al Humyaryiah 1600 verses
    • Kitab al Ruh 7000 verses
    • Sahifah Qaimyiah
    • Sahifah Baynal Haramayn
    • Letters
    • Khutab
    • Ziyarat
    • Dua
    • Tafsir Surat al Kawthar
    • Tafsir Surat al Qadr
    • Tafsir Surat al Fatiha
    • Tafsir Surat al A'sr
    • Tafsir Surat al Baqara
    • Tafsir Surat al Tawhid
    • Nubwuah Khassah
    • Kitab al Fihrist
    • Another Kitab al Fihrist (Risalah Dahabyiah)
    • Lost Tafsir of Quran
  • Writings of Subh al Azal
  • Writings of the leaders after Subh al Azal
  • Writings of letters of livings
    • Divan of Qurrat al Ayn
    • Other writings by the letters of living
  • Hagiography
    • Nuqtat al Kaf
    • Majlis Shahadat Hazrat Qaim Khurasani (Bushru'i)

Bahá'í Faith

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Christianity

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Bible

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The contents of Christian Bibles differ by denomination.

Additional and alternative scriptures

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Some Christian denominations have additional or alternate holy scriptures, some with authoritativeness similar to the Old Testament and New Testament.

  • The Unification Church includes the Divine Principle in its holy scriptures.
  • Gnostic Christianity rejected the narrative in Pauline Christianity that the arrival of Jesus had to do with the forgiveness of sins, and instead were concerned with illusion and enlightenment. Gnostic texts include Gnostic gospels about the life of Jesus, books attributed to various apostles, apocalyptic writings, and philosophical works. Though there is some overlap with some New Testament works, the rest were eventually considered heretical by Christian orthodoxy. Gnostics generally did not include the Old Testament as canon. They believed in two gods, one of which was Yahweh (generally considered evil), the author of the Hebrew Bible and god of the Jews, separate from a Supreme God who sent Jesus.
Latter Day Saint movement
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Liturgical books

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Liturgical books are used to guide or script worship, and many are specific to a denomination.

Catholic liturgical books:

Protestant liturgical books:

Doctrines and laws

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Various Christian denominations have texts which define the doctrines of the group or set out laws which are considered binding. The groups consider these to range in permanence from unquestionable interpretations of divine revelations to human decisions made for convenience or elucidation which are subject to reconsideration.

Druze

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Islam

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The five universally acknowledged messengers (rasul) in Islam are Abraham, Moses, Noah, Jesus and Muhammad,[10] each believed to have been sent with a scripture. Muslims believe David (Dāwūd) received Psalms (Zabur)[11] (cf. Q38:28); Jesus (Īsā) the Gospel (Injil); Muhammad received the Qur'an; Abraham (Ibrahim) the Scrolls of Abraham; and Moses (Mūsā) the Torah (Tawrat).[12]

Sunni Islam

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Twelver Islam

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  • Quran
  • Nahj al Balagha
  • Al Sahiyfa al Sajadiyya
  • Al Jafr which is a book composed of letters of 784 tables (28 sections of letters × 28 chapters of letters) about Omniscience and it has its own grammars to answer many of questions about prophecy or fiqh or medecine or anything according to Jaffars and every table is composed of 28 × 28 for letters of line and of Khana (house) each Khana of 4 letters, however some Usuli scholars rejects it and it is only used by Irfani, Shaykhis and few of Akhbaris and Usulis.
  • Hadith
    • The Four Books
    • Jawami' al Hadith
      • Bihar al-Anwar 25 large Volumes = 100 volumes, it is a general encyclopedia more than of Hadith
      • Awalim al-Ulum it is said that it was 400 volumes = 100 large volumes and it is an extended version of Bihar which once collected all of Hadith of Sunna and Shia and all of the sayings of historians, astrologers, doctors, philosophers and Clerics of Shia and Sunna of that time as explanation of Hadith but it was lost.
      • Wasa'il al Shia 24 volumes
      • Kitab al Wafi 12 volumes
      • Kitab Mustadrak al Wasa'il 12 volumes
      • Safinat al Bihar
      • Tafsir al-Burhan 10 volumes
      • Jami' Ahadith al Shia 20 volumes
      • Min Fiqh Ahlil Bayt by Syed Muhammad al Shirazi 40 volumes
    • Mawsu'at (Encyclopedias)
      • Masānīd Ahlil Bayt by Azizullah al Utaridi 70 volumes contains all of Shia Hadith
      • Mu'jam al Ahadith al Mu'tabara by Asif Muhsini 8 volumes
    • Prayer books
      • Mafateh al Jinan
      • Kamel al Ziyarat
      • Kutub al Masabih
      • Thamarat al Awād
      • Kutub al Ziyarat wal Udyiat wal Salawat
    • Hagiografies
      • Kitab Manaqib Āl Abi Talib
      • Kutub al Maqatil
      • Kutub waqa'at Siffin, Nahrawan and Jamal
      • Kutub al Gharat
      • Kitab al Khara'ij wal Jara'ih
      • Kitab Mashariq Anwar al Waqin
      • Kitab al Hidayiah al Kubra
      • Kitab Uyūn Akhbar al Rida
    • Kutub al Ghayba
      • Of Al Nu'mani
      • Of Al Saduq
      • Of Fadl ibn Shadhan
      • Of al Tūsi
      • Of Ibn Tawus
    • Kutub al Raja'a
    • Usul Arba'mi'a only few of it survived
      • Qurb al Isnad
      • Tafsir al Imam al Askari
      • Al Usul al Sitat Ashar
      • Kitab Sulaym ibn Qays
      • Asl Isa
      • Al Jafaryiat
      • Kitab al Mahasin of Ibn Khalid al Barqi Called as the Fifth Book
      • Nawadir of Sa'd al Asha'ri
      • Al Risalah al Dahabyiah
      • Sahifat al Rida
      • Mukhtasar Basa'ir al Darajat
      • Basa'ir al Darajat
      • And Others

Alawites

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  • Quran (for Zahiris it is the main Scripture but for Batinis it is a very minor Scripture)
  • Kitab al Hidayah al Kubra (for Zahiri Alawites)
  • Kitab al Majmu (for Batini Alawites).
  • Batini Scriptures (Only for Makhusi Sheikhs it is forbidden for Murid or women or non Alawites to read or hear it)
    • Kitab al Sirat
    • Kitab al Haft
    • Kitab al Maratib wal Duraj
    • Kitab al Ruq'a (Talisman)
    • Kitab al Ta'a Fi Ma'rifat al Sa'a
    • Kitab Adab Abi Talib
    • Kitab al Alāma fi Ma'rifat Yawm al Qiyama
    • Kitab al Lahut
    • Kitab Mubtada' al Nur wal Zulmah
    • Kitab al Abwab
    • Kitab al Mahmud wal Mazmum
    • Kitab Nur al Qulub
    • Kitab al Wasāyah fi Ma'rifat al Khafāya
      • Red Jafr (Book of Prophecy and part of al Wasayah)
    • White Jafr (Magical letters talismatic book)
    • al Suluk fi Ma'rifat Awakhir al Muluk
    • al Risalah al Ristpashiyah
    • Fiqh al Risalah al Ristpashiyah
    • Kitab al Akwar wal Adwar (of Major and Minor Cycles of time and reincarnation)
    • Kitab al Surah wal Mithal
  • Kulazi Batini Scriptures (only for The Kulazi Shiekhs and it is forbidden for Murids or women or non-Alawite to read or hear it)
    • Fiqh al Dastur (exgenesis of Majm'u)
    • al Risalah al Ristpashiyah
    • Fiqh al Risalah al Ristpashiyah (Exgenesis of it)
    • Kitab al Asus
    • Kitab al Yunan
    • Kitab al Akwar wal Adwar
    • Kitab al Surah wal Mithal
    • Talisman of Ruqa'a
    • Rasa'il al Shaykh Ibn Yunus al Kualzi

Ahmadiyya

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Alevism (Qizilbash)

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The most revered Alevi scriptures are:

  • Quran
  • Khutbat al Bayan
  • Nuqtat al Bayan
  • Buyruks
    • Menakib Imam Ja'far Sadiq
    • Menakib Sheyh Safi
    • Other Buyruks
  • Makalat [tr]
  • Maktel Husein
  • Hazrat Ali Cenkliri (Military Career Biography of Imam Ali)
  • Haci Bektash Kumru (about Karbala')
  • Kenzul Mesayieb
  • Huseynie
  • Vilayet Nameh
  • Musebyyi Nameh
  • Fazilat Nameh
  • Akhirat Nameh
  • Javedan Nameh
  • Saqi Nameh
  • Battal Nameh
  • Abu Moslem Nameh
  • Sal Nameh (Of Sadridden)
  • Divans of 7 Saints
    • Divan Hatai
    • Divan Sultan Abdal
    • Other 5 Divans
  • Kitab Cabbrkulu
  • Mira'tul Maqasid

Mevlevi Order

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Ismaili Islam

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In Ismailism Quran is divided into Tanzil (Original Quran) and Ta'wil (Exgenesis) this is One Scripture (Quran) :

  • Quran
    • Tanzil al Quran
    • Ta'wil al Quran
      • Ginans (For Indian Nizaris)
        • Dasa Avatara Granth
        • Nihkalanki Gita
        • Many Other Granths Composed of more than 25,000 verses
        • More than 600 Short Ginans
      • Dua
      • Daim al Islam
      • Ta'wil al Da'im
      • Rasa'il Ikhwan al Safa
      • Umm al-Kitab (Shi'i book)
      • Kanz al walad (For Taybism)
      • al Fatrat wal Qiranat (For Taybism)
      • Kirmani writings
      • Nasir Khosrow Writings
      • Sayings and deeds of each Imam
      • Books of Dua't
        • Nurun ala Nur
        • Other Books

Judaism

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Rabbinic Judaism

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Haymanot
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Kabbalism
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Non-rabbinic Judaism

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Karaite Judaism
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  • The Tanakh
Jewish Science
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  • The Tanakh
  • Jewish Science: Divine Healing in Judaism

Rastafari movement

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Samaritanism

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Shabakism

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Pre-Columbian Americas

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Aztec religion

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Maya religion

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Ethnic religions

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Bon (autochthonous religious tradition of Tibet)

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Kaharingan

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Kiratism

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  • The Mundhum of the Limbu ethnic group

Old Norse religion

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Sanamahism

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Main texts:

Other texts:

Sunda Wiwitan

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Yorùbá

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New religious movements

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The ACIM Movement

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Ahmedi religion of Peace and Light

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  • Goal of the wise by Abdullah Hashim
  • Sayings of Imam Ahmed al Hassan
  • Kitab al Tawhid by Ahmed al Hassan
  • Kitab al Ijl (Calf) by him
  • Kitab al Haft
  • Various scriptures of different religions and philosophies, especially gnostic and Kabbalah.

The writings of Franklin Albert Jones a.k.a. Adi Da Love-Ananda Samraj

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  • Aletheon
  • The Companions of the True Dawn Horse
  • The Dawn Horse Testament
  • Gnosticon
  • The Heart of the Adi Dam Revelation
  • Not-Two IS Peace
  • Pneumaton
  • Transcendental Realism

Aetherius Society

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  • The Nine Freedoms

Caodaism

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  • Kinh Thiên Đạo Và Thế Đạo (Prayers of the Heavenly and the Earthly Way)
  • Pháp Chánh Truyền (The Religious Constitution of Caodaism)
  • Tân Luật (The Canonical Codes)
  • Thánh Ngôn Hiệp Tuyển (Compilation of Divine Messages)[14]

Cheondoism

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  • The Donghak Scripture
  • The Songs of Yongdam
  • The Sermons of Master Haeweol
  • The Sermons of Revered Teacher Euiam[15]

Creativity Movement

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The writings of Ben Klassen:

  • Nature's Eternal Religion
  • The White Man's Bible
  • Salubrious Living

Discordianism

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Druidry

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Dudeism

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Eckankar

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Heathenry

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Konkokyo

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  • Oshirase-Goto Obobe-Chō
  • Konko Daijin Oboegaki
  • Gorikai I
  • Gorikai II
  • Gorikai III[16]

Meher Baba

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Meivazhi

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  • The four vedas of Meivazhi
    • Āti mey utaya pūrana veētāntam
    • Āntavarkal mānmiyam
    • Eman pātar atipatu tiru meyññanak koral
    • Eman pātar atipatu kotāyūtak kūr

Mespilism

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  • Mespilism: The Way Of The Medlar

Oahspe Faithism

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Oomoto

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Pastafarianism

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Raëlism

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The writings of Raël a.k.a. Claude Vorilhon:

Religious Science

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Satanism

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Scientology

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Spiritism

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Subud

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SubGenius

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Tenrikyo

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Thelema

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Unarius Academy of Science

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  • The Pulse of Creation Series
  • The Infinite Concept of Cosmic Creation

Urantianism

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Wicca

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Eastern Orthodox also generally divide Baruch and Letter of Jeremiah into two books instead of one. The enumeration of the Books of Ezra is different in many Orthodox Bibles, as it is in all others: see the naming conventions of the Books of Esdras.
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References

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  1. ^ "Yazidis i. General" at Encyclopædia Iranica
  2. ^ Omarkhali, Khanna. "Kitāb al-Jilwa". Encyclopedia of Islam, Third Edition. doi:10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_35639.
  3. ^ "JaiGurdev. Ravidassia Religion, Dera Sach Khand Ballan, jalandhar punjab india". derasachkhandballan.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-16. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  4. ^ Angell, Stephen W (2015), "Renegade Oxonian: Samuel Fisher's Importance in Formulating a Quaker Understanding of Scripture", in Angell, Stephen W; Dandelion, Pink (eds.), Early Quakers and Their Theological Thought 1647–1723, Cambridge University Press, pp. 137–154, doi:10.1017/cbo9781107279575.010, ISBN 9781107279575
  5. ^ "Strangite Scriptures" Archived 21 October 2013 at Archive-It. Strangite.org. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  6. ^ Salvation Army International Theological Council (2010). Handbook of Doctrine. London: Salvation Books. ISBN 978-0-85412-822-8.
  7. ^ "Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (Roman Catholic Church) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2013-03-07.
  8. ^ "Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith". Ewtn.com. Retrieved 2013-03-07.
  9. ^ Doctrine of the Methodist Church, accessed 25 may 2018
  10. ^ Concise Encyclopedia of Islam, C. Glasse, Messenger
  11. ^ Wherry, Elwood Morris (1896). A Complete Index to Sale's Text, Preliminary Discourse, and Notes. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co.
  12. ^ A-Z of Prophets in Islam and Judaism, B.M. Wheeler, Apostle
  13. ^ Sutama, Putu; Luardini, Maria Arina; Asi, Natalina (February 19, 2020). "The Religious Text 'Panaturan' of the Dayak Ngaju Community". KnE Social Sciences. 4 (4). doi:10.18502/kss.v4i4.6489. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Caodaism In A Nutshell". Archived from the original on 2018-12-26. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  15. ^ "chondogyo.or.kr". Archived from the original on February 18, 2005.
  16. ^ "Sacred Scripture (Kyoten) – KONKOKYO".

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