Revelations Flashcards
Revelations
Revelation is ‘divine self-disclosure’(Ward) i.e. the divine becomes known to humanity. They show something that was previously hidden or unclear, and results in increased knowledge.
Like visions, revelation can be an aspect of any of the types of religious experience, e.g. conversion
PROPOSITIONAL REVELATION
- Propositional revelation is the communication of a truth by God to humans through some sort of supernatural event expressed in statements or propositions
- produces a body of truths about God
e.g. Exodus 19-24: Moses summons to go up to Mt. Sinai, where loud trumpet blasts are heart so much so that people ‘tremble violently’. - 10 commandments = truth by God communicated.
NON-PROPOSISTIONAL REVELATION
- non-propositional revelation is a sudden moment of realiszation following a long period of deep thought and reflection - such as a theological truth, or an understanding of God/Ultimate reality
- It involves seeing or interpreting events in a special way, as having spiritual significance rather than just political or sociological importance.
- often ineffable - ‘wholly other’
e.g. Hildegard of Bingen - sudden realisation after a period of reflection
Examples of propositional revelations are:
Moses on Mount Sinai (The burning bush) and Muhammad receiving the Qur’an and suddenly being able to read, understand and recite what he saw.
Examples of non-propositional revelations are:
the prophets of the Old Testament saw events in a special way, e.g. The fall of Israel had a special meaning – that is was an expression of judgment on the people because of their disobedience to God.
e.g. Non-propositional refers to the moment of ‘realisation’ coming at the end of a period of reflection, for example, in Islam the Prophet Muhammad received the Qur’an.
An example of revelation
The conversion of Umar to Islam. In his account we are shown some of these main features. Upon reading the Qur’an he repents completely for harming his sister and is flooded with the knowledge that “this is the word Allah” and he does not continue in his plans to kill Muhammad. He went to seem him and Muhammad asked him, ‘Umar! What brings you here?’ Umar said, ‘I am here to accept Islam’. While this account does not show all the main features of revelation, for example ineffability, the after effects of this experience lasted a life-time as Umar has understood a deeper truth about Allah.
The content of revelation – what exactly is it that is ‘known’?
A) Universal truths:
The enlightenment of the Buddha was is good example of what he considered to be a revelation of a universal truth. He had absolute certainty that he had attained ultimate realisation. It was his moment of realization.
Similarly, Guru Nanak received a universal truth revelation about the name of God.
The content of revelation – what exactly is it that is ‘known’?
B) The Future:
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) lived in a convent in Germany from the age of eight. From an early age she claimed to experience God overshadowing her life. It was not until she was 40 that she began to write down an account of the visions she had experiences. She claimed to receive insight from God about future events.
E.g. “The time is coming when princes and peoples will reject the authority of he Pope. Some countries will prefer their own Church rulers to the Pope. The German Empire will be divided.
This was claimed to be fulfilled in the sixteenth century by the Protestant Reformation, which resulted in the establishment of the Protestant Churches.
The content of revelation – what exactly is it that is ‘known’?
C) The present:
Benny Hinn, a well known leader in the Charismatic Movement, claims that he has words of knowledge from God. For example, in front of a crowd of 18,000 people in Houston, Texas, on 9th April 1993, Hinn said: the Lord spoke to me and told me ‘I am going to anoint the people tonight to receive power over demons’.
The content of revelation – what exactly is it that is ‘known’?
D) Spiritual help:
An example of a revelation involving spiritual help is cited by James (The Varieties of Religious Experience 1960) in his chapter on Mysticism: ‘One day in prayer, on the steps of the choir of the Dominican church, he (saint Ignatius) saw in a distinct manner the plan of divine wisdom in the creation of the world.’
Caroline Franks Davis: ‘The Evidential Force of Religious Experience’ said there were 5 distinctive features of revelation experience:
1) They are sudden and short of duration.
2) Alleged new knowledge acquired immediately.
3) Alleged new knowledge from external agent.
4) The alleged new knowledge is received with utter conviction.
5) The insights are often impossible to put into words.
Keith Ward - What is revelation?
- Revelation is the communication by God of the purpose of creation and of human life, and of the way to achieve it.
- God acts to reveal, and what God does cannot be incorrect. All revelation is interpreted revelation, and human interpretations are very rarely completely adequate.
- Revelation is real, but it is progressive and always requires continual reflection to try to make our interpretation of it as adequate as possible.
- Revelation is progressive and co-operative, so what exactly God reveals is conditions by the basic schemes of thought and value that people have, and by the response of human minds to what God communicates.
- God does not compel or overrule human thoughts and interventions. God guides, prompts, and inspires, leading people gently and persuasively towards a more adequate grasp of truth.
Revelation can:
Show something that was previously hidden and results in increased knowledge.
Results in a deeper understanding of a particular subject, chosen by the deity.
Richard Swinburne
2 public, 3 private.
Each of these 5 categories can be seen in a revelatory nature.
