Divine Revelation and Human Learning

Chapter 6

Learning Christ
(Chapter 6.pdf 204kb )

A theology of revelation must integrate the three definitions of revelation: as an action of God, an authoritative content and as a human experience. The content of revelation is the Person of Jesus Christ. Revelation is appropriated through the relationship of Holy spirit and human spirit as tacit knowledge. It is known explicitly only as it produces change in the believer's life.

The Approach to the Study of Revelation
Key role of anthropology for understanding the relationship of 'nature' and 'grace' – lack of unity in theological approaches to both revelation and Christian education

A Universal Knowledge of God?
'Natural theology' or 'general revelation'? – if there is a universally available knowledge of God, what kind of knowledge is it? – John Baillie and 'mediated immediacy' – 'natural' knowledge of God as tacit knowledge – James Fowler and 'master stories' – every individual and society has a tacit schema for 'God' – the implications of this position.

Jesus Christ as the Content of Revelation
The anthropological question at the heart of culture: what is it to be human – paralleled by the elusive nature of the personal subject: the unknown 'I ' – revelation must be appropriated by means of the twin processes of assimilation and accommodation – these processes require and express human autonomy, which is upheld by human 'spirit' – the relationship between Holy Spirit and human spirit is a necessary condition for the reception of revelation; the Holy Spirit is the agent of revelation – the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus Christ – the Person of Christ is the content of revelation – Jesus is both 'image of God' and 'image of man'

The Historical Christ
The problem of history – history as the hermeneutical science par excellence – refutation of Lessing's dictum – substantive and analytical philosophy of history – biblical history as substantive history – Jesus as both historical and super-historical figure

Conformation
Jesus as the exemplar of human identity – revelation is an aspect of salvation – sanctification – the experience of penitence – the process of change – 'knowing' as formative relationship

Ideology and Inspiration
Role of the Church in the reception of revelation – difference between formation by ideology and formation by revelation – the function of the Bible in the Church: David Kelsey – theories of biblical authority – William Abraham on biblical inspiration