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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GreyLord" data-source="post: 5379629" data-attributes="member: 4348">I would say the Aeneid or the Odyssey, but seeing that they would have at one time been considered religious...I suppose those are done away with.Another that was a HUGE book (every place in America supposedly had one on it's hearth, and was the most popular besides the Bible at one point) is the Pilgrim's Progress.  Absolutely NOT canon for any religion...and not even religious in the sense of the Aeneid or Odyssey...BUT it's still a religious book...so...I suppose that can't count either.I'd say Dante's Inferno...but just like Pilgrim's Progress it's definately religious commentary in parable form.Perhaps Chaucer...except that also can be considered part of the Christian mythos...even thought it's even further removed than the other's above. Same goes for William Shakespeare...it's definately written by and for Christianity and shares the humor, values, and mockery of the same culture...as such also a religious book (I have his collected works in one volume).In fact...until more modern times...almost ALL texts seem to be based in some way on religion.With that light...hmmm...makes it VERY hard.1. United States Constitution (though even that one some would say is religious...if so it's gotten significantly removed from religion with the separation of state and religion interpretations of modern day to probably no longer fall under the religious clause).2. Einstein's theories and writings3. Origin of species (some would debate me on that one...as Darwin at times was seen as religious...and was seen as in someways having incorporated that into his ideas...BUT I believe most would support me saying it's actually NOT in any way connected to religion).If you don't accept #3 above (if you actually know why some would say it has some religious foundations and think it's acceptable), then I'd probably say JRR Tolkien's books had a much more fundamental change upon our modern literature and hence portions of our culture than any other modern writer in the 20th century...and unlike C.S. Lewis whose writings were based on religious thought...JRR Tolkien came right out and said his were not.  They were based more upon building a modern mythology and basis for linguistic study (as well as tales for his kids) more than anything else.</blockquote>

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