REVELATION

Key aspects of this Unit: 

This topic looks at the idea of God’s self revelation to humanity. 

It explores the reasonableness of the evidence of revelation, and why revelation is questioned as a real experience. 

• General revelation. Candidates will be expected to understand God’s revelation through scripture, nature and conscience; 

• Special revelation. Candidates will be expected to understand God’s revelation through a direct meeting, vision or dream, including examples from scripture, worship and prayer; 

• the power of any type of revelation, and its impact on those receiving the revelation; 

• what is learnt of God – qualities of God such as supremacy, immanence, transcendence, personal nature, impersonal nature, omnipotence,omniscience and benevolence; 

• the comparative strengths and weaknesses of general versus special revelation; 

• the issue of reality or illusion in terms of any revelation; 

• alternative explanations for claims of revelation; the question of whether accepting the reality of revelation leads to problems for the believer, such as why believers have different ideas about God.