Theme C - Revelation of God Flashcards
general revelation
God makes himself known by everyday experiences
-available to everyone
special revelation
personal experience
-individual`
personal God
ppl can have a relationship with Him
impersonal God
- no human characteristics
-unknowable/mysterious
nominous
feeling of a presence greater than yourself
How does God reveal himself
-enlightnment
-miracles
-visions
-nature
-scipture
Enlightenment
-seeing things as they really are
Enlightenment eg
- Beneath the bodhi tree
-Siddhartha was absorbed by meditation - reflected
-found truth
-became Buddha
Enlightenment teaches
- seek understanding of truth
- seek ways to stop suffering
-achieve happiness
Enlightenment strengths
- God spreads his word amongst his followers
- universal consciousness
- find truth
Enlightenment weaknesses
- could be someone’s subconscious
-others may have doubts
Hearing God’s call eg
-Saul threatened Jesus’ disciples
- He was struck by a light from heaven
- heard ‘Saul why do you persecute me?’
- preach Jesus word then
Hearing God’s call teaches
-God’s omnipotence
-immanence and love
Hearing God’s call strengths
- believe that God has spoken directly to them
- message received = change of ways
- share this msg
Hearing God’s call weaknesses
-others don’t believe
- self-doubt
miracles eg
-saul’s vision was healed by a disciple instructed by Jesus
- blinded for days then healed
miracles teach
- God’s omnipotence
- shows immanence of intervention
miracles strengths
- miraculous healing = not explained by science
- can lead to revelations = yusuf islam drowning
miracles weaknesses
coincidence
not believed
could be incorrect
visions eg
-saul heard jesus calling
‘i am jesus whom you are persecuting’
visions teaches
- jesus’ benevolance to guide saul
visions strengths
shows God’s love and omniscience
visions weaknesses
no proof
Religious experience eg
Allah revealed the Qur’an to muhammad through angel jibril
‘read in the name of your lord’
religious experience teaches
allah’s power
-guidance of muslims = his love
religious experience strengths
actual word of God
religious experience weaknesses
inspired by God
-not him directly
-people may not believe
Prayer eg
communication through prayers
speaking in tongues
- evangelism
Prayer teaches
God’s immanence
feel his presence
Prayer strengths
answer prayers
cast out demons and be healed
Nature eg
- beauty/power of nature
-ppl in awe - nature is perfect = god is the creator
- design argument
Nature teaches
- intelligent designer
-complexity of creation = god’s power - beauty comes from god
Nature strengths
- laws of science = accurate = God must have designed
- complexity of human life = power
Nature weaknesses
climate change
natural disasters
Scripture eg
- night of power
-muhammad recieves qur’an
Scripture teaches
‘absolute’
‘one and only’
reveals God himself
Scripture strengths
direct word of God
- truth
Scripture weaknesses
inspired by God only
- commentaries written are subjective
work and life of people eg
- fight for justice
work and life of people teaches
- learn about nature of God
- shows god exists
work and life of people strengths
- guidance by god is felt
work and life of people weaknesses
may not be believed
miracle
breaks law of nature
cannot be explained by scientists
God has intervened
enlightenment allegory
blind man and the elephant
Enlightenment - 4 noble truths Buddha
- all life is suffering
- always a cause to suffering (want/guilt)
- there is an end
- follow the middle (neither extreme)
