People of the Book

The term religion of the book refers to religions that have a Holy Scripture and they have recorded in written form. Related terms are revealed religion, world religion and scriptural religion. The term is coined in essential parts of Islam and its understanding of religion and has been adopted by only a few western scientists.

Christianity

In Christianity, the Bible (Old and New Testament) is the Scriptures. It is the scriptural foundation of the Christian faith. The books of the Bible were written by men in different times and referred to a book, the Bible, summarized. Jesus, who of God is preached in the books as the promised Messiah (Christ) and son, moved itself to the written scriptures of the Tanach, the Hebrew Bible ( Matthew 4:4 EU).

Islam

As religions of the book ( whose followers are called Arabic أهل الكتاب ahl al- kitab, DMG ahlu l - kitāb, people of the book ') are in Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and the lost in the 13th century religion of the Sabians viewed ( Qur'an 2: 62). Also Zoroastrianism of Iran is counted there to the religions of the book and tolerated. In traditional Islamic law, the followers of this faith communities protegee of Muslims, known as dhimmis, were, however, had a head tax to compensate for the non-participation in military service pay ( jizya ), which also replaced the zakat (religious legal deposit ) of the Muslims. According to Islamic belief, the religions of the book based on original divine revelations ( holy books: Torah, Psalms, Gospel, and others), which had been but distorted by their followers over time (see: Tahrif ).

In the course of the Islamic conquest were also polytheistic religions, such as Hindus, counted among the members of the religions of the book, so that you the dhimma status was possible.

The Baha'is are considered apostate from Islam ( Murtaddun ) in Iran. Despite international protests, the Baha'is in Iran are still disenfranchised and vulnerable, are persecuted and sometimes executed. After her self-image and their resulting according to Islam religion is regarded as a separate " religion of the book ".

European use

The Indologist and religious scholars Friedrich Max Müller certain on 26 February 1870 in a lecture at the Royal Institution in London eight religions as religions of the book: three -Semitic (Judaism, Christianity, Islam ), three "Aryan" ( Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism ), and two Chinese ( Confucianism, Daoism ). For Müller these established eight religions, " a kind of aristocracy against the common people of book -less, non-literary religions " dar. As a counterpart to the religions of the book, you saw the "cult religions " to: " Primitive religions are more dance than we thought " (Robert Ranulph Marett ). The term " religion of the book " was used not only descriptive, but also judgmental.

The term " religion of the book " is an attempt to draw a clear distinction religions of illiterate peoples ( indigenous beliefs ) also questionable insofar as the written tradition often connects to a longer period of oral tradition. The term also includes a problematic rating or devaluation of illiterate religions, which is evident in Müller's quote. The decision about which religions are counted among the religions of the book is, subject to a certain arbitrariness, since the distinction is not accurate. For this reason, the term is viewed critically in modern religious studies and little used.

In general, also the Sikhism and the Bahai be counted among the religions of the book.

Relationship between different " religions of the book " to her book

The ratio of the respective religions of the book to their holy writings is very different. Even between Christianity, Judaism and Islam, there are some significant differences. Although the scripture may be referred to in all three religions as God's revelation. But for Jews the primary revelation is the act and speak of God in the history of Israel, for Christians ( in preparation ) in the history of Israel and ( finally ) in Jesus of Nazareth. The respective scriptures are the written precipitate this divine action.

For Christians, Jesus Christ is the "Word of God " into this world, of which the Scripture only gives testimony - and partakes in this way to its validity. In the Koran, although Jesus ( Isa ibn Maryam called the there is ) called the "Word of God "; for Islam but is the holy book, the Koran, the word form of divine revelation, where Mohammed is "only" the mediator of the word, but as a person has no soteriological significance. The wording of the Quranic phrases deemed to be revelation of God. Thus only is Islam a " religion of the book " in the proper sense, Christianity is regarded as secondary religion of the book.

Even bigger is the difference to Hinduism, where the Veda, which is considered by seers " heard " knowledge, very long oral tradition and recorded centuries later in writing.