Unit 4 Revelation Flashcards
Definition of revelation
God shows himself to believers this is the way people know about god
Immanence
God is present in and involved with life on earth
Definition of transcendence
God is beyond earth, doesn’t interfere
General revelation
God making himself known through ordinary experiences such as the beauty of nature
Special revelation
God making himself known through a direct experience or unusual even such as the milk statue in Hindu
Vision
Seeing something that proves god to you, usually in a dream or a trance.
Supremacy
Supreme power or authority
Omnipotence
Almighty and unlimited power, all powerful
Omniscience
All knowing
Benevolence
Goodness and being all loving
Personal nature of God
God is an individual being who people are able to have a relationship and feel close to
Impersonal nature of God
The idea that god isn’t human and is like a mysterious force
Reality
The quality or state of being actual and true
Illusion
Something that isn’t real, a different perception of reality
Islamic teachings on revelation
Revelations are created through Allah’s permission
They aren’t given by him directly but through a veil or a messenger
The Quran is a revelation that guides muslims
Allah gives them to show he is high and wise
Jewish teachings on revelations
God reveals himself in visions and dreams “when a prophet of the lord is among you. I real myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams” Numbers 12:6
Visions are special revelations in which you can see holy angels and angels from god
How can seeing god in nature be general revelation
The beauty and power of nature such as the complexity of the human body gives evidence of god being immanent. This can create feelings of awe and wonder
How can a religious text be gen real revelation
They are usually the words or messages from god, this can give the reader a better understanding and a stronger connection to god
How can the life and work of others be a general revelation
The way people have lived their life and the work they have created can make some theists believe they were guided by god so they study their life and try to follow their paths
How can our mind be general revelation
Theists believe our knowledge of right and wrong and feelings of guilt are due to god teaching us these morals. This mindset is seen as evidence of god
How can prayer be revelation
The feelings created in prayer can be considered general revelation and sometimes a personal connection with god can be felt, making it special revelation
How can enlightenment be special revelation
For buddhists, they don’t believe in god so revelation is different for them. They go through the cycle of death and rebirth until the reach perfection and break the cycle. They do this by breaking the providing happiness and ending suffering. The breaking of this cycle is special revelation for buddhists
