The Literature of Belief focuses on sacred literature, some considered holy scripture, and concludes the nature of religious experience by looking at the sacred texts of several of the world's significant religions. This, along with studying the scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, opens the book's writings for comparison and often some reasons for the differences.
William James' definition of religion, "the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand about whatever they may consider the divine," the very center of his definition of religion," is presented at the beginning of the book and was a practical reference point of looking at the various literature gave.
At the foundation of great religions lie holy books. Not all religious texts have the sacredness of scripture, but few religions survive and thrive without creating a literature of belief.
This book contained overviews of the writings of Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, and Latter-Day Saint Scripture. The respect shown for each religion is clearly of the most importance to this book.
