World religions and ways of reading
Connection becomes clearer when difference stays visible.
How to read this room.
This room introduces both religious communities and tools for reading. It is a selected map, not a census of every tradition. Begin with a community’s own account and an identifiable text. Babylon’s connections can then be stated in their own voice, with room for a reader to compare, question or disagree.
Short definitions open a topic; the linked studies develop the passages and Babylon’s authored interpretation.
Religion
A broad category for communities, practices, narratives and commitments; definitions differ and should not erase particular traditions.
Comparative religion
Studying similarities and differences across traditions while preserving each source’s language, history and self-understanding.
Judaism
The religious and communal traditions of the Jewish people, with diverse forms of Torah learning and practice.
Christianity
Diverse religious traditions centered on Jesus Christ, with distinct scriptures, institutions and theological interpretations.
Hinduism
A broad family of South Asian religious traditions with diverse scriptures, practices and philosophies.
Sikhism
A religious tradition centered on the Gurus’ teaching and Guru Granth Sahib; it deserves its own voice in comparative study.
Guru Granth Sahib
Sikh scripture and the enduring Guru in Sikh tradition; not interchangeable with a general anthology of spiritual writing.
Jainism
An Indian religious tradition emphasizing liberation and ethical discipline, with non-harming central to its practice.
Bahá’í Faith
A religious tradition associated with Bahá’u’lláh, emphasizing the oneness of humanity; read its own institutions’ account.
Also found as: Bahai Faith · Baha'i
Scripture
A text or collection regarded as authoritative or sacred within a community; authority and canons differ.
Canon
A recognized collection of authoritative writings; different communities may include different works.
Apocrypha
A label whose included books and evaluative meaning vary across religious communities and historical settings.
Pseudepigraphy
Attribution of a work to a figure other than its actual writer; ancient literary attribution needs contextual study.
Revelation as a concept
Disclosure of divine meaning in religious vocabulary; distinguish the general concept from the biblical Book of Revelation.
Prophecy as a genre
Religious speech or writing understood as conveying a divine message; it is not limited to prediction.
Myth as a literary category
A scholarly term for culturally significant narratives about origins and order; it does not by itself mean a lie.
Ritual
A patterned practice with communal or religious meaning; explain what participants understand themselves to be doing.
Liturgy
An ordered form of worship or communal religious service, often involving specified texts and actions.
Pilgrimage
A journey to a place of religious significance; obligations and meanings differ among communities.
Prayer
Religious address, appeal, praise or contemplation; forms and understandings vary across traditions.
Meditation
A broad category of attentive or contemplative practices; methods and goals require a named tradition.
Mysticism
A comparative category for particular forms of religious understanding and experience; it is not one universal doctrine.
Exegesis
Interpretation of a text through attention to language, context and argument; distinguish the source from the interpreter’s conclusions.
Hermeneutics
Reflection on how interpretation works, including the reader’s assumptions and the conditions of understanding.
Interfaith dialogue
Conversation across religious communities that can welcome connection while preserving real differences and freedom of belief.
Choose two passages and write three lines: what each says, one difference and the connection you are proposing.
Continue with named sources.
These selected references orient this room. Consult the named work and edition for a close reading. Babylon’s symbolic connections remain its own teaching.
Read the full source register