As to the influence of sacred books on religion, it is obvious,
in the first place, that they are always formulations of the ideas of
the places and times in which they originate, and that they vary in tone
and in importance accordingly. It is true, however, that the canonical
collections of the great religions, having arisen in enlightened
circles, all have, along with local (social, mythological,
eschatological) features, generally high ethical and spiritually
religious standards. For this reason they have always been, as religious
and ethical guides and sources of inspiration, important factors in the
development of civilization as well as in the life of the churches.
Their teachings, generally representing the ideas of gifted men
formulated under the pressure of great religious enthusiasm, have
perpetuated high standards, holding them up in times of decadence and
corruption and clouded moral vision.

+1135+. A specially noteworthy point in their influence is their role of
household monitors and comforters. As religious manuals, invested with
divine authority, they have found their way into families and other
small and intimate circles, have been children's textbooks and parents'
guides, and thus have entered in an extraordinary way into individual
life. They have reached wider circles through expositions and discourses
held in connection with stated religious services. They have been used
as textbooks in schools, and in general have been the most widely read
books in the world. They have thus been unifying forces, each in its
special community.

Their influence, further, has not been confined to purely religious
life. Being regarded as containing the final truth, they have been
objects of study and occasions of the development of learning. The
necessity of explaining their use of words and grammatical
constructions, their historical and geographical statements and views,
their pictures and theories of social life, their psychology and
philosophy, their theistic and eschatological ideas, have led to
investigations of all these subjects. Early Moslem science sprang from
the study of the Koran, and the later Moslem discussions of free-will,
immortality and other points were called forth by Koranic statements.
The philosophical writings of Maimonides, produced under Greek influence
(through Moslem translations of Aristotle), were directed to the
elucidation of Old Testament ideas. The contributions of modern
Christia