Table 2.
Chart outlining the role
of plagiarism in the formation of new
religious structures.
© Copyright 2003, By
William M. Alnor
Compiler's note: This chart is from
an early, but incomplete draft from
Professor William Alnor's doctoral
dissertation from Temple University's Mass
Media and Communications Program in April
2003. Distribution of this copyrighted
list is prohibited. It has been placed
on line with the hope that other scholars of
religion can comment on it, and even add to
this list for Mr. Alnor's ongoing plagiarism
project, which will become public
information. This does not imply that
anyone supplying Mr. Alnor with additional
tips has become a researcher in his doctoral
dissertation project. Ultimately, Mr. Alnor
will personally investigate all tips.
Also, this list is not an indictment
of any individuals or faiths. It is simply
an incomplete compilation of public writings
dealing with the formation of religion.
Please help with the project by writing Mr.
Alnor at william.alnor@tamuk.edu
The Chart below is not
meant to be exhaustive. Various books and
scholarly studies document alleged
plagiarism instances in foundation documents
of each religion.
|
Name of Religion |
Primary Text(s) |
Public accusations
on where the texts plagiarized from |
|
Islam |
The Qur’an and the
hadiths |
The Hebrew
scriptures and the Christian New
Testament, sometimes word for word,
but often with alterations to the
text. Jewish apocryphal literature
(including the Talmud) also taken. |
|
The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints
(Mormonism) |
The Book of Mormon,
The Pearl of Great Price and Doctrines
and Covenants |
The Bible, both the
Old Testament and the New. Scholars
allege that Solomon Spalding’s
(1761-1816) book The Manuscript
Found, a novel, was an early
version of The Book of Mormon
that Mormon founder Joseph Smith
allegedly took and presented to the
world. Part of The Pearl of Great
Price came from the Egyptian Book
of Breathings. |
|
The Church of
Christ, Scientist (Christian Science) |
Mary Baker Eddy’s
book, Science and Health, the Key
to the Scriptures. Eddy was the
founder of the Christian Science sect. |
Her work extensively
plagiarized Phineas Quimby’s Science
of Man. She also plagiarized
Francis Lieber. Eddy was an associate
of Quimby’s. |
|
Seventh Day
Adventism |
Ellen G. White, the
founder of the sect, wrote a number of
key documents guiding Adventism, which
was an offshoot of the Millerite
movement of the 1840s. One of them is
called The Great Controversy. |
Joseph Smith’s Pearl
of Great Price, the apocryypha,
John Milton’s Paradise Lost, The
Book of Jasher, Adersheim’s Bible
History: Old Testament and The
Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah,
and others. |
|
The Theosophical
Society |
Founder Helena
Petrovna Blavatsky’s guiding books
of the movement were titled Isis
Unveiled and The Secret
Doctrine. |
Books plagiarized
from more than 100 sources, including The
Celtic Druids and Anacalypsis
by Godfrey Higgins |
|
Eckankar |
This twentieth
century sect was founded upon the
writings of Paul Twitchell, who wrote
several books, including The Far
Country. |
Plagiarized from
Julian Johnson’s The Path of the
Masters. |
|
The Way,
International |
A twentieth century
anti-trinitarian evangelical sect was
founded upon the writings and
teachings of Victor Paul Wierwille.
One of Wierwille’s foundational
books is Receiving the Holy Spirit (1972). |
Plagiarized from J.E.
Stiles’ book, The Gift of the
Holy Spirit. Researchers examining
Wierwille’s other writing say he
plagiarized from at least seven other
books, including works by E.W. Kenyon
and E.W. Bullinger. |
|
The Jain Sect |
This sect, founded
in India more than 2,500 years ago
making it one of the oldest living
religions, has had its teachings
altered at various times in its
history. |
Seventeenth-century
cleric called Śrībhūsana
plagiarized another work titled Pāndavapurāna
from a rival sect. |
