Revelation
Friday, August 19, 2022
10:10 AM
Revelation refers to God's self-disclosure, the means made available for accessing God's self-disclosure and the norms for interpreting God's self-disclosure. Revelation is the means by which God makes God's-self known to humanity.  This very definition relies on several faith claims: (1) there is God; (2) God makes choices; (3) God cares enough about humanity to make God's-self known.   
Christian theology will often divide revelation into two parts: General Revelation and Specific Revelation.  General Revelation is also called Natural Theology and it refers to the divine self-disclosure that is available to each person.  Romans 1:20 may serve as a scriptural illustration of general revelation.  "Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse" (NRSV).  Natural theology is understood from creation accounts and surfaces in reflection of God as creator.  In Psalm 8, the Psalmist begins by praising God.  It considers the theological question of humanity's place within creation and ponders God's concern for humanity against the backdrop of the "moon and stars."  This same sense of wonder is reflected in Psalm 19 and in Psalm 148.  