The Routledge Dictionary of Religious and Spiritual Quotations

389 Pages·2001·1.75 MB·English

by  Geoffrey Parrinder

THE ROUTLEDGE DICTIONARY OF
RELIGIOUS & SPIRITUAL QUOTATIONS
How does the universe come to exist?
What is the nature of its creator?
Is there a purpose to human existence?
What is it to live a good life?
The Routledge Dictionary of Religious and Spiritual Quotations offers not just
one answer to these questions, but many.
The fundamental questions concerning God and Man are as old as humanity,
finding new expressions and answers in every society and age. The revealed
world of Jehovah, Allah and Krishna, of Christ, Mohammad and the Buddha and
the inspiration of religious and mystic experience have produced the world’s
richest and most extensive literature. In this collection of over 3000 quotations
you will discover the diversity of that literature and the fertility of religious
thought, experience and practice throughout history. Geoffrey Parrinder has
drawn on all the great books of the world’s religions—the Bible, Qur’an,
Zoroastrian Gathas, Hindu Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, Jewish Mishnah, Sikh Adi
Granth and Chinese Tao Te Ching. Read the words of prophets, scholars and
mystics on the nature of the divine, the ethics of human conduct and the puzzles
of mortality, resurrection and life after death. Here too are the thoughts of the
religious and irreligious on matters spiritual and moral, from Plato on sexuality,
Freud on the origins of religion, and William Blake on angels to Omar Khayyam
on fate, Confucius on poverty and Gandhi on violence.
Originally published in 1990, The Routledge Dictionary of Religious
Quotations is now re-issued with a new foreword by Geoffrey Parrinder.
THE ROUTLEDGE
DICTIONARY OF
RELIGIOUS & SPIRITUAL
QUOTATIONS
GEOFFREY PARRINDER
London and New York
First published 1990 as
A Dictionary of Religious & Spiritual Quotations
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
This edition first published 2000
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of
thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
© 1990, 2000 Geoffrey Parrinder
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN 0-203-98567-2 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-415-23393-3 (Print Edition)
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
PREFACE
Introduction 1
1. What is Religion? 1
2. The Origins of Religion 3
I. Religious Forms
3. Non-Scriptural Religions 6
4. Historical Religions 7
5. Monotheism 9
6. Polytheism 10
7. Dualism—Twin Gods 12
8. Pantheism—Monism 13
9. Animism—Mana 16
10. Totemism 17
11. Taboo 18
12. Magic 20
13. Witchcraft 21
14. Superstition 24
15. Atheism and Irreligion 24
16. Agnosticism and Humanism 27
17. Dogmatism 29
18. Syncretism—Mingling 31
19. Relations between Religions 33
v
II. The Supernatural
20. God 37
21. Gods 40
22. Goddesses 42
23. Angels 43
24. Spirits 45
25. Demons and Devils 46
26. Spirit-Possession and Exorcism 48
III. The Nature of God
27. Being 51
28. Transcendence 53
29. Immanence 54
30. Incarnation—Avatar 57
31. Triads and Trinity 59
32. Creator 60
33. Parent 62
34. Spirit 63
35. Light 64
36. Almighty 65
37. Omniscience 66
38. Goodness and Grace 67
39. Compassion and Mercy 68
40. Divine Love 70
41. Providence 71
42. Predestination and Fate 73
IV. The Universe
43. In the Beginning 76
44. Creation 77
45. Nature 79
vi
46. The First Human Beings 83
47. Primeval Flood 85
48. The Last Days 86
49. New Worlds 87
V. Humanity
50. Human Nature 89
51. The Human Body 92
52. Soul and Spirit 94
VI. The Sacred
53. Places 97
54. Symbols and Images 98
55. Relics 100
56. Holy Days 101
57. Festivals 102
58. Iconoclasm 103
VII. Sacred Persons
59. Charisma 105
60. Prophets 107
61. Shamans 109
62. Teachers and Gurus 110
63. Saints 111
64. Martyrs 113
65. Priests and Clergy 114
66. Preachers 116
67. Monks and Nuns 117
VIII. Sacred Word
68. Myths and Legends 120
69. Revelation 122
70. Scriptures 123
vii
71. Belief 125
72. Creeds 126
IX. Sacred Actions
73. Worship 128
74. Liturgy and Ritual 130
75. Sacrifice and Sacrament 132
76. Music 133
X. Spirituality
77. Religious Experience 136
78. Mysticism 138
79. Salvation and Conversion 140
80. Piety and Holiness 141
81. Devotion and Communion 142
82. Miracles 144
83. Visions 146
84. Dreams 149
XI. Spiritual Exercises
85. Prayer 151
86. Prayer for the Dead 154
87. Meditation 155
88. Yoga and Zen 157
89. Asceticism and World-Denial 158
90. Fasting 160
91. Pilgrimage 161
XII. Religious Community
92. People 164
93. Church 166
94. Orthodoxy and Establishment 168
95. Schism, Sects and Reform 170
viii
96. Persecution 173
97. Toleration 175
98. Proselytization and Missions 177
99. Unity and Ecumenism 180
100. Decline of Religion 182
101. Renewal of Religion 183
102. Education and Teaching 185
103. Care of the Sick 187
XIII. Religious Philosophy
104. Philosophy 189
105. Reason and Mind 191
106. Questions and Speculation 193
107. Science 195
108. Suffering 197
109. Freewill 199
110. Doubt 201
111. Proofs of God 202
XIV. Virtue and the Good
112. Lists of Virtues 205
113. The Right 207
114. Duty 208
115. Truth and Wisdom 210
116. Beauty and Art 212
117. Justice 214
118. Goodness and Mercy 215
119. Faith 217
120. Hope 219
121. Charity 220
122. Love 221
ix
XV. Morality
123. The Way 225
124. The Golden Rule 226
125. Commandments 227
126. Conscience 228
127. Individual Behaviour 230
128. Karma 231
129. Evil and Sin 232
130. Falsehood 234
131. Oaths 235
132. Pride, Envy and Theft 236
133. Drunkenness and Gambling 238
134. Killing 239
135. Suicide 241
136. Repentance and Confession 242
137. Forgiveness 243
138. Reconciliation and Atonement 244
XVI. Men and Women
139. Parents and Children 246
140. Widows and Orphans 248
141. Man 249
142. Woman 250
143. Marriage 252
144. Polygamy 253
145. Divorce 254
146. Sex 256
147. Contraception 258
148. Infidelity and Adultery 259
149. Prostitution 260