Sacred Works/Primary Sources with a few select secondary sources - Ancient World Religion and Philosophy - Wille - LibGuides at Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

Intro

Links to boxes below:

Religious Transformations in the Early Modern World by Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks
Call Number: 270.5 WIES RELI 2009

ISBN: 9780312458867

Publication Date: 2009-01-09
From Medicine Men to Muhammad: A thematic source book of the history of religions. by Mircea Eliade
Call Number: 291 ELIA MEDI 1974

ISBN: 9780060621384

Publication Date: 1974-05-01

This volume presents the stories of the world's shamans and medicine men, prophets and founders of religion. The spiritual techniques, mystical experiences and religious beliefs collected here are evidence of the practice of religion, and of its vitality, in different times and places throughout history.

Sacred Texts Anthologies

The Ancient Mysteries: a sourcebook : sacred texts of the mystery religions of the ancient Mediterranean world by Marvin W. Meyer (Editor)
Call Number: 291.13 MEYEANCI1999

ISBN: 9780812216929

Publication Date: 1999-05-07

The Greek mysteries of the grain mother and daughter, and related mysteries -- The Andanian mysteries of Messenia -- The Greek mysteries of Dionysos -- The Anatolian mysteries of the great mother and her lover, and the Syrian goddess -- The Egyptian mysteries of Isis and Osiris -- The Roman mysteries of Mithras -- The mysteries within Judaism and Christianity.
Bible of the World by Robert O. Ballou (Editor)
Call Number: 290 BIBL1939

ISBN: 9780670162246

Publication Date: 1939-01-01

Collection of sacred works from numerous religious practices.
Essential Sacred Writings from Around the World by Mircea Eliade
Call Number: 291.09 ELIAESSE1992

ISBN: 9780062503046

Publication Date: 1991-12-20

Divinities of primitives (pre-literate societies) -- African high gods -- North American Indians -- Polynesia, Colombia, Labrador, New Guinea -- Gods of the ancient Near East, ancient India, and Japan -- Greek gods and heroes, and the Iranian supreme being, Ahura-Mazda -- Islam: Allah and his prophet -- Myths of creation of the world -- A myth of beginning and end -- The creation of man -- Myths of the origin of death -- Myths of the flood -- Sacred world, sacred life, sacred time -- Origin and destiny of the soul -- and the powers of mana -- Types of sacrifice -- Rituals, oracles, prescriptions, devotion -- Prayers and hymns -- Patterns of initiation -- Gods, heroes, and death -- Death and the intermediate state -- Funerary rituals -- Egyptian conceptions of death -- The roads to the nether world -- Greek and Roman conceptions of death and immortality -- Orpheus myths -- Paradises -- The end of the world -- Messianic prophecies and millenarian movements.
Shamans and medicine men -- Holy personages -- Forms of asceticism -- Prophets and founders of religions -- Spiritual techniques and mystical experiences -- Techniques of yoga -- Japanese Buddhism -- Zen Buddhism -- Islam -- Different understandings of the human condition -- Humility, wisdom, tolerance -- Egyptian teaching -- Greek thought -- Jain belief -- A Buddhist emperor and philosopher: Ashoka -- Confucius -- Buddha explains the middle path -- The ultimate reality: questions and answers -- Reflecting on gods, the self, and the God.
Four Testaments by Brian Arthur Brown (Editor)
Call Number: 208.2 BROWFOUR2016

ISBN: 9781442265776

Publication Date: 2016-07-08

Four Testaments brings together four foundational texts from world religions--the Tao Te Ching, Dhammapada, Analects of Confucius, and Bhagavad Gita--inviting readers to experience them in full, to explore possible points of connection and divergence, and to better understand people who practice these traditions
Gods, Heroes, and Monsters : a sourcebook of Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern myths by Carolina López-Ruiz
Call Number: 201.3 LOPEGODS2018

ISBN: 9780190644819

Publication Date: 2017-06-15
The Message and the Book : Sacred Texts of the World's Religions by John Bowker; Atlantic Books, an imprint of Grove Atlantic Ltd. (Other Primary Creator)
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9780300179293

Publication Date: 2012-03-27
The Norton Anthology of World Religions by Jack Miles (General Editor); Wendy Doniger (Editor); Donald S. Lopez (Editor); James Robson (Editor); David Biale (Editor); Lawrence Cunningham (Editor); Jane Dammen McAuliffe (Editor)
Call Number: 208 MILENORT2015

ISBN: 0393062538

Publication Date: 2014-11-03

portable library of more than 1,000 primary texts from the world's major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Daoism (Volume 1); Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Volume 2). The anthology brings together foundational works--the Bhagavad Gita, the Daodejing, the Bible, the Quʹran--with the writings of scholars, seekers, believers, and skeptics whose voices over centuries have kept these religions vital.
The Portable World Bible by Robert O. Ballou (Editor)
Call Number: 290 WOR

ISBN: 9780140150056

Publication Date: 1977-01-27

Representative selections from Hindu, Confucianist, Taoist, Mohammedan, Buddhist, Judeo-Christian, and Zoroastrian sacred writings, chosen to convey the fundamental tenets and essence of each religion.
Sacred Texts of the World: A Universal Anthology by Ninian Smart (Editor); Richard Hecht (Editor)
Call Number: 291.82 SMARSACR1982

ISBN: 0824504836

Publication Date: 1984-01-01
Scriptures of the World's Religions by James Fieser; John Powers
Call Number: 208.2 FIESSCRI2011

ISBN: 0073535842

Publication Date: 2011-04-21

Excerpts from:
Hinduism
Jainism
Buddhism
Sikhism
Confucianism
Daoism
Shinto
Australian Aboriginal
Zoroastrianism
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Baha'i Faith
Indigenous Religions of Africa
Indigenous Religions of the Americas

Americas

The Aztec Myths : a guide to the ancient stories and legends by Camilla Townsend
Call Number: 299.78 TOWN AZTE 2024

ISBN: 9780500025536

Publication Date: 2024-06-04
Popol Vuh: the Mayan book of the dawn of life by Dennis Tedlock
Call Number: 299 POP

ISBN: 9780671617714

Publication Date: 1986-03-09

The Popol Vuh, the Quiche Mayan book of creation, is one of the extraordinary documents of the human imagination and the most important text in the native languages of the Americas. It begins with the deeds of Mayan gods in the darkness of a primeval sea and ends with the radiant splendor of the Mayan lords who founded the Quiche kingdom in the Guatemalan highlands. Originally written in Mayan hieroglyphs, it was transcribed in the Spanish alphabet in the sixteenth century. This is the first unabridged English edition of the work, in Dennis Tedlock's widely praised translation, with a full introduction and commentaries on the text.

Buddhism

Explanation of Buddhist Sacred Texts in Various Buddhist Traditions
The field of Buddhist sacred texts is very complex. This guide will help you to the appropriate Buddhist sacred texts for the sect/region you are interested in.

Note: Some of the anthologies below contain more than just sacred works. Please be careful when selecting from these books.

This guide from MIchigan State University provides an overview (with book titles) to different Buddhist traditions & their sacred works. The IRC owns some of these. Others are huge multi-volume works. Please see Connie regarding any that you may want to use.

The Body Incantatory : spells and the ritual imagination in medieval Chinese Buddhism by Paul Copp
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9780231162708

Publication Date: 2014-09-09

*The Body Incantatory* explores the pervasive role of incantations in Buddhist practice in late medieval China (600-1000 C.E.), focusing on material forms like amulets, inscribed stones, and spell-carved pillars. Paul Copp examines how these physical objects, along with manuscripts and prints, reveal hidden histories and logics of Buddhist rituals, especially through the study of two significant Buddhist spells or dharani. The book challenges traditional views by highlighting the diverse and embodied practices of medieval monks, ritual healers, and laypeople, offering new insights into the significance of incantation in medieval Chinese, Central Asian, and Indian Buddhism.
Buddhist Mahâyâna Texts by Edward B. Cowell (Editor); Frances A. Davis (Editor)
Call Number: 294.382 BUDD1969

ISBN: 0486255522

Publication Date: 2011-12-08

From the series: Sacred Books of the East.
Excellent translations of basic works in later Buddhism feature the Buddha-Karita of Asvaghosha, concerning the life and teachings of the Buddha. Additional documents include the Larger and Smaller Sukhavati-vyuha, describing the Land of Bliss, the Vagrakkhedika, the Larger and Smaller Pragna, two kernel statements of the Mahayana, and the Meditation Sutra of Amida Buddhism.
Buddhist Scriptures by Donald S. Lopez (Editor); Donald S. Lopez (Editor)
Call Number: 294.38 LOPE BUDD 2004

ISBN: 9780140447583

Publication Date: 2004-08-31

Containins dozens of selected Buddhist teachings, quotes and commentaries.
Buddhist Suttas by F. Max Muller
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9780700715497

Publication Date: 2001-09-21
The Dhammapada: The Sayings of the Buddha by John Ross Carter (Edited and Translated by); Mahinda Palihawadana (Edited and Translated by)
Call Number: 294.3823 CART DHAM 2008

ISBN: 9780199555130

Publication Date: 2008-12-15

Other editions (including ebooks) of The Dhammapada here
In the Buddha's words : an anthology of discourses from the Pāli canon by Bodhi; Dalai Dalai Lama (Foreword by)
Call Number: 294.3 BODH BUDD 2005

ISBN: 9780861714919

Publication Date: 2005-07-28
The Long Discourses of the Buddha by Maurice Walshe (Translator); Sumedho Sumedho Thera (Foreword by)
Call Number: 294.3 WALS DISC 1995

ISBN: 9780861711031

Publication Date: 1995-06-15
The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha by Nanamoli (Translator); Bodhi (Translator)
Call Number: 294.3 NIKA DISC 1995

ISBN: 9780861710720

Publication Date: 1995-11-09
The original I Ching oracle : the pure and complete texts with concordance by Eranos Foundation
Call Number: 133.33 RITSORIG2005

ISBN: 9781842931493

Publication Date: 2005

The I Ching (or Yijing) was influential in Confuciusism, Buddhism, and Taoism.
Other editions of the I Ching can be found here: I Ching editions
Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma by Leon Hurvitz (Translator)
Call Number: 294.3823 SCRI1982

ISBN: 0231039204

Publication Date: 1976-11-01

This is a translation of a Buddhist scripture which was originally written in Sanskrit but is best known to Buddhists through Chinese versions. It is one of the most influential and popular texts of Mahayana Buddhism, emphasizing the doctrine that there is only one path to enlightenment, the bodhisattva-path, and the principle that the Buddha is not to be delimited in time and space.
Sources of Chinese Tradition by Irene Bloom (Editor); Wm. Theodore de Bary (Editor); Mixhael Cohen (Editor)
Call Number: 951 DEBASOUR Vol. 1 & 2

ISBN: 0231109385

Publication Date: 1999-07-27

Volume 1: Early times - 1600
Volume 2: 1600 - 2000
Volume 1:
Antiquity - Confucius - Way of Laozi - Evolution of Confucianism - Legalists (Chinese Legalism) - Classical Culture - Imperial Order & Han - Codifying Confucian Canon - Economic Order - Later Daoism & Mahayana Buddhism - More Buddhism Chapters - Confucian Revival - Women - Ming Dynasty - Qi
Volume 2:
Challenges to Chinese Tradition - Popular Values - Response to Early Christian Contacts - Opening to West - Reform and Revolution - New Culture Movement - Communist Revolution - Modern China
Sources of Indian Tradition: From the Beginning to 1800 by Stephen N. Hay (Revised by); Ainslie T. Embree (Editor)
Call Number: 954 EMBRSOUR1988

ISBN: 9780231066501

Publication Date: 1988-04-01

The traditions represented include Brahmanism, Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism.
Sources of Japanese Tradition by Wm. Theodore de Bary (Editor); Donald Keene (Editor); George Tanabe (Editor); Paul Varley (Editor)
Call Number: 952 DEBASOUR Volumes 1 & 2

ISBN: 0231121393

Publication Date: 2002-04-10

Volume 1: Earliest times to 1600
Volume 2: 1600 - 2000
Volume 1:
Japanese Dynasties - Early Shinto - Prince Shotolu - Chinese Thought in Japan - Nara Buddhism - Mahayana Univeralism - Spread of Buddhism - Way of the Warrior - Zen Buddhism - Shinto in Medieval Japan - Women's Education
Volume 2:
Ieyasu & Tokugawa Shogunate - Confucianism - Encounter with West - Confucian Revisionists - Haiku - Dutch Learning - 18th Century - Wa of the Warior II - National Learning Schools - Buddhism - Restoration - Seclusion v. Restoration - Japan, Asia & The West - Various sections on socialism, women, World War I & II, Post-War Japan
Sources of Korean Tradition by Peter Lee (Editor); Yôngho Ch'oe (Editor); Wm. Theodore de Bary (Editor); Hugh Kang (As told to)
Call Number: 951.9 LEESOUR1997

ISBN: 9780231120319

Publication Date: 2001-02-14

Volume 1: Early times through 16th century
Volume 2: 17th century to present
Volume 1:
Origins of Korean Culture - Rise of Three Kingdoms - Intro of Buddhism - Consolidation of the State - Rise of Buddhism (some on Confucianism and Taoism) - Poetry & Song - Local Clans & Meditation school - Koryo (includes Confucianism) - Military Rule - Buddhism - Popular Beliefs & Confucianists - Choson Dynasty - Social Life (includes Women) - Economy -
Sources of Mongolian Buddhism by Vesna A. Wallace (Editor)
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9780190900694

Publication Date: 2020-02-03
The Spirit of the Buddha by Martine Batchelor
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9780300164077

Publication Date: 2010-07-27

A selection of essential texts from the Pali canon, the earliest Buddhist scriptures.
Three Zen Sutras : The Heart Sutra, The Diamond Sutra, and The Platform Sutra by Red Pine
Call Number: 294.382 HUIN THRE 2021

ISBN: 9781640094949

Publication Date: 2021-09-28

Chinese Legalism

Primary Sources

Basic Writings of Mo Tzu, Hsün Tzu, and Han Fei Tzu by Burton Watson (Translator)
Call Number: 181.11 MOBASI1967

ISBN: 9780231025157

Publication Date: 1967-01-22

Works by Han Fei Available to Interlibrary Loan

Secondary Sources

China: the political philosophy of the middle kingdom by Tongdong Bai
Call Number: Ebook or 320.010951 BAICHIN2012

ISBN: 1780320760

Publication Date: 2012-10-11
The Confucian-Legalist State by Dingxin Zhao
Call Number: 951.001 ZHAOCONF2015

ISBN: 0199351732

Publication Date: 2015-11-13

He, Peng. "The difference of Chinese legalism and western legalism." Frontiers of Law in China 6, no. 4 (2011): 645-669.
Article

An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy by Karyn Lai
Call Number: 181.11 LAIINTR2017

ISBN: 9781107103986

Publication Date: 2017-03-30

Sections on Legalism
In Search of the Way : legal philosophy of the classic Chinese thinkers by Wejen Chang
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9781474449854

Publication Date: 2019-05-23

Additional Resources on Chinese Legalism

Christianity

There are many versions of the Christian Bible. Most are shelved in the 220 area of the library. Please see Connie for assistance if needed.

This guide from Michigan State University discusses some of the versions and gives version titles. IMSA does not own all versions. Please see Connie for any version you may be interested in.

The Catholic Bible : New American Bible including the revised Psalms and the revised New Testament, translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources
Call Number: 220.52054 CATH1995

Publication Date: 1995
The English Bible, King James Version - Norton Critical Version by Gerald Hammond (Editor); Austin Busch (Editor)
Call Number: ON ORDER Currently available to interlibrary loan

ISBN: 9780393975079

Publication Date: 2012-05-24
Holy Bible
Call Number: 220.52 BIBL1971
King James Version Study Bible by Thomas Thomas Nelson
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9781401679620

Publication Date: 2013-10-22
The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Third Edition, New Revised Standard Version by Michael D. Coogan (Editor); Marc Z. Brettler; Carol Newsom; Pheme Perkins
Call Number: 220.52 COOGNEW2007 or Ebook

ISBN: 9780195288803

Publication Date: 2007-02-02

Ebook
The Other Bible : Jewish pseudepigrapha, Christian apocrypha, Gnostic scriptures, Kabbalah, Dead Sea scrolls by Willis Barnstone
Call Number: 229.052 BARN OTHE 2005

ISBN: 9780060815981

Publication Date: 2005-09-20
The English Bible, King James Version by Herbert Marks
Call Number: 220.5 JAME ENGL 2012

ISBN: 9780393927450

Publication Date: 2012-05-24

Confucianism

Note: Some of the anthologies below contain more than just sacred works. Please be careful when selecting from these books.

Analects of Confucius by Arthur Waley
Call Number: 181.112 CONFANAL1989 And Online

ISBN: 0679722963

Publication Date: 1989-08-28

Many other editions available.
The Four Chinese Classics by David Hinton (Translator)
Call Number: 181.11 HINT FOUR 2013

ISBN: 9781619028340

Publication Date: 2016-12-13

Tao te ching / Lao Tzu -- The inner chapters / Chuang Tzu -- Analects / Confucius -- Mencius.
Mencius by Mencius; D. C. Lau (Translator)
Call Number: 181.11 MENCMENC1970

ISBN: 9780140442281

Publication Date: 1970-10-30
Sources of Chinese Tradition by Irene Bloom (Editor); Wm. Theodore de Bary (Editor); Mixhael Cohen (Editor)
Call Number: 951 DEBASOUR Vol. 1 & 2

ISBN: 0231109385

Publication Date: 1999-07-27

Volume 1: Early times - 1600
Volume 2: 1600 - 2000
Volume 1:
Antiquity - Confucius - Way of Laozi - Evolution of Confucianism - Legalists (Chinese Legalism) - Classical Culture - Imperial Order & Han - Codifying Confucian Canon - Economic Order - Later Daoism & Mahayana Buddhism - More Buddhism Chapters - Confucian Revival - Women - Ming Dynasty - Qi
Volume 2:
Challenges to Chinese Tradition - Popular Values - Response to Early Christian Contacts - Opening to West - Reform and Revolution - New Culture Movement - Communist Revolution - Modern China
Sources of Japanese Tradition by Wm. Theodore de Bary (Editor); Donald Keene (Editor); George Tanabe (Editor); Paul Varley (Editor)
Call Number: 952 DEBASOUR Volumes 1 & 2

ISBN: 0231121393

Publication Date: 2002-04-10

Volume 1: Earliest times to 1600
Volume 2: 1600 - 2000
Volume 1:
Japanese Dynasties - Early Shinto - Prince Shotolu - Chinese Thought in Japan - Nara Buddhism - Mahayana Univeralism - Spread of Buddhism - Way of the Warrior - Zen Buddhism - Shinto in Medieval Japan - Women's Education
Volume 2:
Ieyasu & Tokugawa Shogunate - Confucianism - Encounter with West - Confucian Revisionists - Haiku - Dutch Learning - 18th Century - Wa of the Warior II - National Learning Schools - Buddhism - Restoration - Seclusion v. Restoration - Japan, Asia & The West - Various sections on socialism, women, World War I & II, Post-War Japan
Sources of Korean Tradition by Peter Lee (Editor); Yôngho Ch'oe (Editor); Wm. Theodore de Bary (Editor); Hugh Kang (As told to)
Call Number: 951.9 LEESOUR1997

ISBN: 9780231120319

Publication Date: 2001-02-14

Volume 1: Early times through 16th century
Volume 2: 17th century to present
Volume 1:
Origins of Korean Culture - Rise of Three Kingdoms - Intro of Buddhism - Consolidation of the State - Rise of Buddhism (some on Confucianism and Taoism) - Poetry & Song - Local Clans & Meditation school - Koryo (includes Confucianism) - Military Rule - Buddhism - Popular Beliefs & Confucianists - Choson Dynasty - Social Life (includes Women) - Economy -
Ta Hsueh and Chung Yung (the highest order of cultivation and on the practice of the mean) by Anonymous; Andrew Plaks (Translator, Introduction by, Notes by)
Call Number: 181 PLAK TAHS 2003

ISBN: 9780140447842

Publication Date: 2004-05-25
Three Smaller Wisdom Books : Lao Zi's Dao de jing, the Great learning (Da xue), and the Doctrine of the mean by Patrick Edwin Moran
Call Number: 181 MORA THRE 1993

ISBN: 9780819192158

Publication Date: 1993-09-24

Daoism/Taoism

The Book of Chuang Tzu by Martin Palmer (Translator, Introduction by); Elizabeth Breuilly (Translator)
Call Number: 299.514 ZHUA BOOK 2006

ISBN: 9780140455373

Publication Date: 2007-04-06
Daodejing by Laozi; Edmund Ryden
Call Number: 299.51482 LAOZDAOD2008

ISBN: 9780199208555

Publication Date: 2008-10-15

Other editions of the Daodejing/Tao Te Ching
Daoism: The Norton Anthology of World Religions by Jack Miles; James Robson
Call Number: 299.51 ROBS DAOI 2015

ISBN: 9780393918977

Publication Date: 2015-02-20
Early Daoist Scriptures by Stephen R. Bokenkamp; Peter Nickerson (Contribution by)
Call Number: 299 BOKE EARL 1997

ISBN: 9780520219311

Publication Date: 1999-06-29
The Four Chinese Classics by David Hinton (Translator)
Call Number: 181.11 HINT FOUR 2013

ISBN: 9781619028340

Publication Date: 2016-12-13

Tao te ching / Lao Tzu -- The inner chapters / Chuang Tzu -- Analects / Confucius -- Mencius.
The Inner Chapters by Chuang-Tzu; A. C. Graham (Translator)
Call Number: 181.114 CHUAINNE1989

ISBN: 9780872205819

Publication Date: 2001-03-15
The original I Ching oracle : the pure and complete texts with concordance by Eranos Foundation
Call Number: 133.33 RITSORIG2005

ISBN: 9781842931493

Publication Date: 2005

The I Ching (or Yijing) was influential in Confuciusism, Buddhism, and Taoism.
Other editions of the I Ching can be found here: I Ching editions
Sources of Chinese Tradition by Irene Bloom (Editor); Wm. Theodore de Bary (Editor); Mixhael Cohen (Editor)
Call Number: 951 DEBASOUR Vol. 1 & 2

ISBN: 0231109385

Publication Date: 1999-07-27

Volume 1: Early times - 1600
Volume 2: 1600 - 2000
Volume 1:
Antiquity - Confucius - Way of Laozi - Evolution of Confucianism - Legalists (Chinese Legalism) - Classical Culture - Imperial Order & Han - Codifying Confucian Canon - Economic Order - Later Daoism & Mahayana Buddhism - More Buddhism Chapters - Confucian Revival - Women - Ming Dynasty - Qi
Volume 2:
Challenges to Chinese Tradition - Popular Values - Response to Early Christian Contacts - Opening to West - Reform and Revolution - New Culture Movement - Communist Revolution - Modern China
Sources of Korean Tradition by Peter Lee (Editor); Yôngho Ch'oe (Editor); Wm. Theodore de Bary (Editor); Hugh Kang (As told to)
Call Number: 951.9 LEESOUR1997

ISBN: 9780231120319

Publication Date: 2001-02-14

Volume 1: Early times through 16th century
Volume 2: 17th century to present
Volume 1:
Origins of Korean Culture - Rise of Three Kingdoms - Intro of Buddhism - Consolidation of the State - Rise of Buddhism (some on Confucianism and Taoism) - Poetry & Song - Local Clans & Meditation school - Koryo (includes Confucianism) - Military Rule - Buddhism - Popular Beliefs & Confucianists - Choson Dynasty - Social Life (includes Women) - Economy -
Wisdom of Laotse (aka Laozi) by Lao Tzú; Yutang Lin
Call Number: 299.51482 LAOTWISD1976

ISBN: 9780394604763

Publication Date: 1979-06-12

Egypt

The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife by Erik Hornung; David Lorton (Translator)
Call Number: 299 HORN ANCI 1999

ISBN: 9780801435157

Publication Date: 1999-06-08
The Hieroglyphics of Horapollo by Horapollo Niliacus; George Boas (Translator)
Call Number: 291.37 HORAHIER1993

ISBN: 0691000921

Publication Date: 1993-12-05

Written reputedly by an Egyptian magus, Horapollo Niliacus, in the fourth century C.E., The Hieroglyphics of Horapollo is an anthology of nearly two hundred "hieroglyphics," or allegorical emblems, said to have been used by the Pharaonic scribes in describing natural and moral aspects of the world. Translated into Greek in 1505, it informed much of Western iconography from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries. This work not only tells how various types of natural phenomena, emotions, virtues, philosophical concepts, and human character-types were symbolized, but also explains why, for example, the universe is represented by a serpent swallowing its tail, filial affection by a stork, education by the heavens dropping dew, and a horoscopist by a person eating an hourglass.
The Priests of Ancient Egypt by Serge Sauneron; David Lorton (Translator); Jean-Pierre Corteggiani (Foreword by)
Call Number: 299 SAUN PRIE 2000

ISBN: 9780801436857

Publication Date: 2000-05-23

Refer to Chapter 1: Testimony of Ancient Texts.
The gods were everywhere in Ancient Egypt. Represented by statues, bas-reliefs, and funerary paintings, they even walked among the Egyptians in the person of Pharaoh, considered to be a living god. What better way to understand that distant culture than by becoming familiar with the people who served those gods? Using as his sources the Egyptian texts and the testimony of classical authors, Serge Sauneron illuminates the role of the priesthood in Ancient Egypt. He describes the ceremonies of daily worship and takes us deep into the sacred precincts of the temples. He re-creates the system of thought of one of the great civilizations of antiquity, addressing such topics as priestly functions, the world of the temples, holy festivals, tombs, and pyramids.

Greek/Roman

Gods, Heroes, and Monsters : a sourcebook of Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern myths by Carolina López-Ruiz
Call Number: 201.3 LOPEGODS2018

ISBN: 9780190644819

Publication Date: 2017-06-15
The Greek magical papyri in translation, including the Demotic spells by Hans D. Betz (Editor)
Call Number: 133.4 BETZ GREE 1986

ISBN: 9780226044446

Publication Date: 1986-04-01

The Greek magical papyri" is a collection of magical spells and formulas, hymns, and rituals from Greco-Roman Egypt, dating from the second century B.C. to the fifth century A.D. Containing a fresh translation of the Greek papyri, as well as Coptic and Demotic texts, this new translation has been brought up to date and is now the most comprehensive collection of this literature, and the first ever in English.
Greek Religion: a sourcebook by Valerie M. Warrior
Call Number: 292.08 WARRGREE2009

ISBN: 1585100315

Publication Date: 2008-12-15

Provides an introduction to the fundamentals of ancient Greek religious beliefs and rituals through a rich collection of ancient source readings.
Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire by Iain Gardner (Editor); Samuel N. Lieu (Editor)
Call Number: 299 GARD MANI 2004

ISBN: 9781280515903

Publication Date: 2013-05-17

Founded by Mani (c. AD 216-276), a Syrian visionary of Judaeo-Christian background who lived in Persian Mesopotamia, Manichaeism spread rapidly into the Roman Empire in the third and fourth centuries AD and became one of the most persecuted heresies under Christian Roman emperors. The religion established missionary cells in Syria, Egypt, North Africa and Rome and has in Augustine of Hippo the most famous of its converts. The study of the religion in the Roman Empire has benefited from discoveries of genuine Manichaean texts from Medinet Madi and from the Dakhleh Oasis in Egypt, as well as successful decipherment of the Cologne Mani-Codex which gives an autobiography of the founder in Greek. This 2004 book is a single-volume collection of sources for this religion, and draws from material mostly unknown to English-speaking scholars and students, offers in translation genuine Manichaean texts from Greek, Latin and Coptic.
Women's Religions in the Greco-Roman World: A Sourcebook by Ross Shepard Kraemer (Editor)
Call Number: 200.82 KRAEWOME2004

ISBN: 0195142780

Publication Date: 2004-03-04

The book is a collection of translations of primary texts relevant to women's religion in Western antiquity, from the fourth century BCE to the fifth century CE. The selections are taken from the plethora of ancient religions, including Judaism and Christianity, and are translated from the six major languages of the Greco-Roman world: Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, and Coptic.

Hinduism

Note: Some of the anthologies below contain more than just sacred works. Please be careful when selecting from these books.

This guide from MIchigan State University provides an overview (with book titles) to different Hindu traditions & their sacred works. The IRC owns some of these. Others are huge multi-volume works. Please see Connie regarding any that you may want to use.

Sources of Indian Tradition: From the Beginning to 1800 by Stephen N. Hay (Revised by); Ainslie T. Embree (Editor)
Call Number: 954 EMBRSOUR1988

ISBN: 9780231066501

Publication Date: 1988-04-01

The traditions represented include Brahmanism, Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism.

The revealed texts constitute the Veda, divided into four sections: the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, and the Atharva Veda. The Vedas are hymns that are also accompanied in the total Veda by Brahmanas (ritual texts) Aranyakas (“forest” or “wilderness” texts), and Upanishads (philosophical texts). The Upanishads are also called the Vedanta and come at the end of the total Veda. Though less studied than later texts, the Veda is the central scripture of Hinduism.

The Rig Veda : one hundred and eight hymns by Thomas Wyatt; Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty (Editor, Translator)
Call Number: 294.59212 VEDA1981

ISBN: 9780140444025

Publication Date: 1982-01-28

Other editions of the Rig Veda (including ebooks): Rig Veda
The Upanishads by Eknath Easwaran
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9781586380212

Publication Date: 2007-08-28

Other versions of the Upanishads

The remembered texts consist of post-Vedic texts. Among the most important are two epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana; the Bhagavad Gita, a text inserted into the Mahabharata that focuses on the god Krishna; and the Dharamasastras; consisting of the manuals concerning dharma and aphorism on dharma.

The Bhagavad Gita by W. J. Johnson
Call Number: 294.5924 ZAEHBHAG1973

ISBN: 9780199538126

Publication Date: 2009-09-21

Other editions of the Bhagavad Gita
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa : selected readings by Ravi Gupta; Kenneth Valpey
Call Number: 394.5925 GUPT BHAG 2017

ISBN: 9780231169011

Publication Date: 2016-11-29
Mahabharata by Carole Satyamurti; Vinay Dharwadker (Afterword by); Wendy Doniger (Foreword by)
Call Number: 821.914 SATYMAHA2015

ISBN: 9780393081756

Publication Date: 2015-03-16

Other editions of the Mahabharata
Manu's Code of Law by Patrick Olivelle; Suman Olivelle (As told to)
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9780195171464

Publication Date: 2004-12-09

one of the most important texts in the Sanskrit canon, indeed one of the most important surviving texts from any classical civilization. It paints an astoundingly detailed picture of ancient Indian life-covering everything from the constitution of the king's cabinet to the price of a ferry trip for a pregnant woman-and its doctrines have been central to Indian thought and practice for 2000 years. Despite its importance, however, until now no one has produced a critical edition of this text.
The Ramayana by R. K. Narayan; Pankaj Mishra (Introduction by)
Call Number: 294.5922 NARARAMA2006

ISBN: 9780143039679

Publication Date: 2006-08-29

Other editions of the Ramayana

Islam

Note: Some of the anthologies below contain more than just sacred works. Please be careful when selecting from these books.

Classical Islam : A Sourcebook of Religious Literature by Norman Calder (Editor); Jawid Mojaddedi (Editor); Andrew Rippin (Editor)
Call Number: 297 CALD CLAS 2013 and Ebook

ISBN: 9780415505079

Publication Date: 2013

More than sixty authoritative new translations of key Islamic texts.
The Glorious Koran by Marmaduke William Pickthall (Editor)
Call Number: 297.122 GLOR1976

ISBN: 9780042970363

Publication Date: 1976-01-01
Ibadi Texts from the 2nd/8th Century by Wilferd Madelung (Editor); Abdulrahman al-Salimi (Editor)
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9789004330641

Publication Date: 2017-12-14

Texts from the Ibadi sect of Islam.
Ibn Sina's Remarks and Admonitions: Physics and Metaphysics by Shams Inati (Translator)
Call Number: 181 SINA IBN 2014

ISBN: 9780231166164

Publication Date: 2014-07-08

In *Al-Isharat wal-Tanbihat*, Ibn Sina (Avicenna) addresses the nature of bodies, souls, and existence, providing foundational insights into human health and the body. His medical philosophy, woven through his discussions of physics and metaphysics, reflects on the relationship between the physical and spiritual realms, which influenced his approach to medicine and healing. His thoughts on the soul's connection to bodily health and his views on the divine offer important context for understanding the broader implications of his medical work, especially in terms of maintaining balance and well-being.
The Meaning of the Glorious Koran by Marmaduke Pickthal
Call Number: 297.122 PICKMEAN1980

ISBN: 9780880292092

Publication Date: 1988-12-01

A translation of the holy book of Islam.
The Qur'an: Norton Critical Edition by Jane Dammen McAuliffe
Call Number: 297.1 MCAU QURA 2017

ISBN: 9780393927054

Publication Date: 2017-01-12
The Quran by Muhammad Z. Khan (Translator)
Call Number: 297.122521 KHANQURA1997

ISBN: 9781566562553

Publication Date: 1997-04-01
Sources of Indian Tradition: From the Beginning to 1800 by Stephen N. Hay (Revised by); Ainslie T. Embree (Editor)
Call Number: 954 EMBRSOUR1988

ISBN: 9780231066501

Publication Date: 1988-04-01

The traditions represented include Brahmanism, Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism.

Jainism

Note: Some of the anthologies below contain more than just sacred works. Please be careful when selecting from these books.

Jaina Sutras, part I and II
Call Number: 294.4 JACOJAIN2008

ISBN: 160506727X

Includes the Akaranga and Kalpa Sutras, two of the most important Jain sacred texts.
Sources of Indian Tradition: From the Beginning to 1800 by Stephen N. Hay (Revised by); Ainslie T. Embree (Editor)
Call Number: 954 EMBRSOUR1988

ISBN: 9780231066501

Publication Date: 1988-04-01

The traditions represented include Brahmanism, Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism.
That Which Is : A Classic Jain Manual for Understanding the True Nature of Reality by Tatia Umasvati
Call Number: 294.482 UMASTHAT1994

ISBN: 0060689854

Publication Date: 1994-06-01

That Which Is, known as the Tattvartha Sutra to Jains, is recognized by all four Jaina traditions as the earliest, most authoritative and comprehensive summary of their religion. Unique in bringing together classical commentaries from each tradition, this translation of the Tattvartha Sutra provides in one volume a detailed explanation of the universe, the place of humanity within it and the path through it to liberation.

Judaism

The Essential Talmud by Adin Steinsaltz
Call Number: 296.12 STEIESSE1976

ISBN: 9780465020638

Publication Date: 1984-03-06

Other copies of the Talmud
The Jewish Study Bible by Adele Berlin (Editor); Marc Zvi Brettler (Editor)
Call Number: 221.5 BERL JEWI 1999

ISBN: 9780199978465

Publication Date: 2014-10-17
The Living Torah - Hebrew-English Edition (With Haftarot, Bibliography and Index) by Aryeh Kaplan
Call Number: 222.1044 KAPLLIVI1984

ISBN: 9780940118720

Publication Date: 1981-01-01

Another copy of the Torah (Pentateuch)
The Mishnah by Jacob Neusner
Call Number: 296.12305 NEUSMISH1988

ISBN: 9780300030655

Publication Date: 1988-09-10
The Other Bible : Jewish pseudepigrapha, Christian apocrypha, Gnostic scriptures, Kabbalah, Dead Sea scrolls by Willis Barnstone
Call Number: 229.052 BARN OTHE 2005

ISBN: 9780060815981

Publication Date: 2005-09-20
Textual Sources for the Study of Judaism by Philip S. Alexander (Translator)
Call Number: 296 ALEXTEXT1990

ISBN: 9780226012971

Publication Date: 1990-11-15

Scripture and tradition -- Liturgy -- Tales of the saints and scholars -- Religious law -- Ethical literature -- Philosophy and theology -- Mystical literature -- Modern movements, modern thinkers -- Religion and politics -- Society and the Jews.

Scandinavian Religions

From Asgard to Valhalla: The Remarkable History of the Norse Myths by Heather O'Donoghue
Call Number: 293 ODON ASGA 2024

ISBN: 9781350252806

Publication Date: 2024-02-22
Norse Mythology by John Lindow
Call Number: 293 LIND NORS 2002 and Ebook

ISBN: 9780195153828

Publication Date: 2002-10-17
The Norse Myths (including creation) by Kevin Crossley-Holland
Call Number: 293.13 CROSNORS1980

ISBN: 9780394500485

Publication Date: 1980-09-12
Northern Mythology: tales from Norse, Finnish & Sámi traditions by Tim Rayborn
Call Number: 293.13 RAYB NORT 2023

ISBN: 9781646434619

Publication Date: 2024-08-06
Scandinavian Mythology by H. R. Davidson
Call Number: 293.13 DAVISCAN1986

ISBN: 9780872260412

Publication Date: 1986-10-01
The Viking Spirit: an Introduction to Norse Mythology and Religion by Daniel McCoy
Call Number: 293 MCCO VIKI 2016

ISBN: 9781533393036

Publication Date: 2016-06-01
Volcanoes in Old Norse Mythology by Mathias Nordvig
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 1641892927

Publication Date: 2021-03-31

Shinto

Note: Some of the anthologies below contain more than just sacred works. Please be careful when selecting from these books.

The Kojiki : An Account of Ancient Matters by no Yasumaro Ō; Gustav Heldt (Translator)
Call Number: 952 YASU KOJI 2014 and Ebook

ISBN: 9780231538121

Publication Date: 2014-09-09

Japan's oldest surviving narrative, the eighth-century Kojiki, chronicles the mythical origins of its islands and their ruling dynasty through a diverse array of genealogies, tales, and songs that have helped to shape the modern nation's views of its ancient past.
Kojiki: the Birth of Japan: The Japanese Creation Myth Illustrated by Kazumi Wilds
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9784805315392

Publication Date: 2019-10-22
Norito by Donald L. Philippi; Joseph Mitsuo Kitagawa (Preface by)
Call Number: 299 PHIL NORI 1990

ISBN: 9780691014890

Publication Date: 1990-12-21

English translation of the prayers of Japan's indigenous religious tradition, Shinto. These prayers, norito, are works of religious literature that are basic to our understanding of Japanese religious history.
Sources of Japanese Tradition by Wm. Theodore de Bary (Editor); Donald Keene (Editor); George Tanabe (Editor); Paul Varley (Editor)
Call Number: 952 DEBASOUR Volumes 1 & 2

ISBN: 0231121393

Publication Date: 2002-04-10

Volume 1: Earliest times to 1600
Volume 2: 1600 - 2000
Volume 1:
Japanese Dynasties - Early Shinto - Prince Shotolu - Chinese Thought in Japan - Nara Buddhism - Mahayana Univeralism - Spread of Buddhism - Way of the Warrior - Zen Buddhism - Shinto in Medieval Japan - Women's Education
Volume 2:
Ieyasu & Tokugawa Shogunate - Confucianism - Encounter with West - Confucian Revisionists - Haiku - Dutch Learning - 18th Century - Wa of the Warior II - National Learning Schools - Buddhism - Restoration - Seclusion v. Restoration - Japan, Asia & The West - Various sections on socialism, women, World War I & II, Post-War Japan

Sikhism

Note: Some of the anthologies below contain more than just sacred works. Please be careful when selecting from these books.

The Adi Granth: Or The Holy Scriptures Of The Sikhs by Ernest Trumpp
Call Number: ON ORDER Currently available to interlibrary loan

ISBN: 9788121502443

Publication Date: 2004-11-01
Dasam Granth by Gobind Singh; Surindar S. Kohli; Surindar S. Kohli (Translator)
Call Number: 294.68 SINGDASA 2005

ISBN: 9788121510448

Publication Date: 2005-10-01
Kabitt Swayye Bhai Gurdas Ji by Guradāsa, Bhai
Call Number: 294.6 GURD KABI 2007

ISBN: 9788172053895

Publication Date: 2007

Early works -- Panjabi Sikh poetry -- Panjabi Early works to 1800 -- Sikh poetry -- Panjabi Early works to 1800
Sources of Indian Tradition: From the Beginning to 1800 by Stephen N. Hay (Revised by); Ainslie T. Embree (Editor)
Call Number: 954 EMBRSOUR1988

ISBN: 9780231066501

Publication Date: 1988-04-01

The traditions represented include Brahmanism, Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism.

West African Religions

Primary Sources

African Mythology (including creation) by Stuart A. Kallen
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9781420511451

Publication Date: 2015-02-27
African Mythology by Geoffrey Parrinder
Call Number: 299.62 PARRAFRI1986

ISBN: 9780872260429

Publication Date: 1986-04-01
African Myths of Origin by Stephen Belcher (Editor, Introduction by)
Call Number: 398.2096 BELCAFRI2005

ISBN: 9780140449457

Publication Date: 2006-06-27
West African Folktales by J. K. Jackson (Editor)
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9781839647802

Publication Date: 2021-08-10
West African Folktales by Jack Berry (Translator, Compiled by); Richard Spears (Introduction by, Editor)
Call Number: Available to interlibrary loan

ISBN: 9780810109933

Publication Date: 1991-10-01

Secondary Sources

African religions & philosophy by Mbiti, John S.
Call Number: 299.6 MBITAFRI1988

ISBN: 9780435835910

Publication Date: 1969
African religions : beliefs and practices through history
Call Number: 200.96 THOMAFRI2019 and Ebook

ISBN: 9798400608193

Publication Date: 2019
Africa religiosity and Africa development : understanding Africa traditional religion and its effects on Africa development
Call Number: Available to Interlibrary Loan

ISBN: 9789988885526

Publication Date: 2019
Aquarian Guide to African Mythology by Jan Knappert
Call Number: 299.62 KNAPAQUA1990

ISBN: 9780850308853

Publication Date: 1991-04-01
Explorations in African Systems of Thought by Ivan Karp (Editor); Charles S. Bird (Editor)
Call Number: 960 KARPEXPL1987

ISBN: 9780874745917

Publication Date: 1987-10-17
The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to African Religions by Elias Kifon Bongmba (Editor)
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9781405196901

Publication Date: 2012-05-21
Tongnaab: The History of a West African God by Jean Allman; John Parker
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9780253346650

Publication Date: 2005-11-18

Zoroastrianism

Avesta by Arthur Henry Bleeck
Call Number: 295.8 BLEE AVES 2005

ISBN: 9781421205007

Publication Date: 1999-01-01
An Introduction to Ancient Iranian Religion: Readings from the Avesta and the Achaemenid Inscriptions by William W. Malandra
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9780816611140

Publication Date: 1983-11-01
The Spirit of Zoroastrianism by Prods Oktor Skj¿rv¿
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9780300170351

Publication Date: 2012-02-07
The Bundahisn : the Zoroastrian Book of Creation by Domenico Agostini (Edited and Translated by); Samuel Thrope (Edited and Translated by); Shaul Shaked (Preface by); Guy Stroumsa (Afterword by)
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9780190879044

Publication Date: 2020-08-25

Miscellaneous Ancient Religions

A Corpus of Syriac Incantation Bowls by Marco Moriggi
Call Number: Ebook

ISBN: 9789004272804

Publication Date: 2014-05-22
Gods, Heroes, and Monsters : a sourcebook of Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern myths by Carolina López-Ruiz
Call Number: 201.3 LOPEGODS2018

ISBN: 9780190644819

Publication Date: 2017-06-15

Witchcraft

European Magic and Witchcraft by Martha Rampton (Editor)
Call Number: 133.4 RAMP EURO 2018

ISBN: 9781442634206

Publication Date: 2018-05-15

In this comprehensive primary source reader, Martha Rampton traces the history of our fascination with magic and witchcraft from the first through to the seventeenth century. In over 80 readings presented chronologically, Rampton demonstrates how understandings of and reactions toward magic changed and developed over time, and how these ideas were influenced by various factors such as religion, science, and law.
Hazards of the Dark Arts: advice for medieval princes on witchcraft and magic : Johannes Hartlieb's Book of all forbidden arts (1456) and Ulrich Molitoris's On witches and pythonesses (1489) by Richard Kieckhefer (Translator)
Call Number: 133.4 KIEC HAZA 2017

ISBN: 9780271078403

Publication Date: 2022-05-31

English translations of two important fifteenth-century writings on witchcraft by Johannes Hartlieb and Ulrich Molitoris. Introduction discusses the writings, the authors, their historical environments, the ways they used sources, and their influence on the development of ideas about witchcraft.
On Witchcraft by Johann Weyer; Benjamin G. Kohl (Editor); H. Erik Midelfort (Editor); John Shea (Translator)
Call Number: 133.4 WEYE WITC 1998

ISBN: 9781889818023

Publication Date: 1998-01-01

Book by medical doctor Johann Weyer, also known as Wier, first published in Basel in 1563. The book argues that witchcraft does not exist and that those who claim to practice it are suffering from delusions, which should be treated as mental illnesses, rather than punished as witchcraft. It was influential in the abolishment of witchcraft trials in the Netherlands.
The Devil, his origin, aims, and power -- Book Two: Of magicians of ill repute -- Book Three: Of Lamiae -- Book Four: Of those who are thought to be afflicted by the witchcraft of Lamiae -- Book Five: Treatment of persons who are believed to be afflicted by the witchcraft of Lamiae or possessed by a demon -- Book Six: Of the punishment of notorious magicians, witches, and poisoners.