INSPIRATION

(Lat. ‘inbreathing’).— The idea that a human being can be an organ or vehicle for the manifestation of the divine, or can receive divine communications, appears in all religions. Often the inspired person is in a state of great emotional excitement. The Old Testament prophet was at first a seer, then moral, spiritual, and to some extent predictive. I. is most frequently used in connection with sacred writings; all great religions have their sacred books; in Muhammadanism the conception of I. of the Koran is more rigid than that of the Bible has ever been among the fans. In the Christian Church the literal and verbal inerrancy of Scripture has been largely believed in, but it is now generally abandoned. Another view is that the Bible is infallible in matters of faith and morals, though not always nece arily in others. Most Christian theologians would now accept the Bible as spiritually more inspired than any other book, and as containing all things “nece ary to salvation, but would admit mora! and spiritual progre . H.), town, E. Pru ia, Germany; fron