@hingehead,
Quote: I'm more interested in how, over time, sociocultural factors have deviated religions from their original precepts as documented in their nominated 'word'
The function of a "written text", which is of course
also a sociocultural phenomenon, is to play the role of "permanence" (aka "eternal") relative to the uncertainty of life. But as modern philosophers of language have shown, the
meaning of any text inevitably shifts with the zeitgeist. The details of the shift are insignificant relative to the arbitrary nature of religious narrative and its need to adapt. Failure to adapt ( as in fundamentalism) often leads to social strife
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace