The Divine Library: A Comprehensive Reference Guide to the Sacred Texts and Spiritual Literature of the World

by Rufus C. Camphausen

Book Overview

Succinctly describes 140 sacred texts, dating from the earliest times to the present, in relation to the cultures that created them.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0892813512
• ISBN13: 9780892813513
• Release Date: June 1992
• Publisher: Inner Traditions International
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Perfect

This was exactly what I was looking for though it would be nice if it was bedazzled a bit with some more photos of the actual text or depections. The perfect compliment to my practice.

A Great Place To Start

Even the Introduction was interesting. I've always said we can't make truth, untrue. It is fascinating how many of the "Sacred Texts" hold some of the same truths. Regardless of your faith system, you truly should know what others use as their references. The book explains diplomatically what texts say without negotiating validity. Do you know where your sacred text came from? Was it an original work? Was it pieced together from older texts? Was it repackaged to suit the leaders of your faith system? OK, so the last question isn't specifically answered, and I'm glad it wasn't, but the book is a great place to start to investigate such questions.

A valuable guide to a wealth of literature

Whether you are a spiritual seeker or a lover of great literature--or both--you will find Camphausen's "Divine Library" to be an essential guide. An amazingly concise and informative "mini-encyclopedia," the book contains chronologically-ordered entries on major works of sacred literature.This is truly a multifaith and multicultural guide, spanning the globe and the millennia. The Qur'an, the Pop Wuj (or Popol Vuh) of the Quiche Mayas, the Kojiki of Japan, the New Testament, the Dhammapada, the Zohar--all these and more are in here. Camphausen also includes texts--such as the Iliad or the Kalevala of Finland--which, despite their theological and supernatural content, are not always recognized as sacred literature. He treats each text respectfully and accurately, and frequently provides useful bibliographic references.The book's many reproductions of sacred art make it a rich visual feast. Also noteworthy are the reproductions of pages from the actual works being described; Camphausen shows us the cuneiform of the Gilgamesh epic, the Egyptian hieroglyphics of the Pyramid Texts, and a wealth of other writing systems.At just over 200 pages, this is far from a complete guide. Where, for example, is Mary Baker Eddy's "Science and Health"? The Urantia Book? The Principia Discordia? I'm sure other readers could cite additional oversights; perhaps these could be corrected in a future edition. Despite these oversights, "The Divine Library" is an outstanding reference work. It is a book that I turn to frequently, and I highly recommend it.