Faith and Revelation
Mrs.
Vivona
Sacred Scripture

literal translation: “Holy Writing”

A written history of God and God’s people, originally
handed down by way of oral tradition.

Scripture contains unique life stories about everyday people
like us.
o Genesis – new birth, beginning or new idea
o The creation stories in Genesis tell us we are “called
into being” by God
.
who loves
us and wants to be in relationship with us.
o We are gifted and uniquely created in God’s image.

Our own unique life story is sacred scripture.

Sacred Scripture is the holy writings of God’s people.
For Christians and Jews: The Bible
Hindus: The Vedas
Muslims: The Koran
Metaphor
 A means of expression that tries to describe a trait or
characteristic of a
person or thing.
 Because God is not human, we use metaphor to describe
our perception and
experience of God.
Revelation
 God’s self disclosure. God making God’s self known to us.
 Holy Trinity who is one God, three persons, sharing one
nature.
 Culture and society both impact our perception of God’s
revelation.
Faith

Trusting and believing in God

A gift given to us at our creation, available to all humans.

Involves both trust and belief, which are compatible and
inseparable.

Begins as God invites and we respond. Our religion can be
defined as the expression of our faith

A response can’t be forced from us; it is an act of free will.

Faith is a continual, ongoing interaction between God and
us, occurring throughout our lifetimes.

Does not guarantee us a trouble free life, but promises God’s
presence in our sufferings and struggles.
Unit 1 notes.04

Faith tells us that if we hang in there and continue to
believe that perhaps some good can eventually come from
our suffering.
Agnostic – A person who is unsure of the existence of God.
Atheist – A person who denies the existence of God.
Sacred Mystery – The belief in some kind of power beyond us.
Salvation History – The story of God and God’s people. Sacred
Mystery is revealed in and throughout our Salvation History.
We come to know God through:
Signs of God’s Existence (The Sacred Mystery)

Human Reason – Using intelligence, intellect and reason to
come to an understanding of God’s presence.

Sacred Scripture – God’s presence throughout human
history is our Salvation History.

The experience of Nature – Finding God in the immense
beauty of all creation.

The experience of ourselves and others as humans – the
holy presence of another points us to the spiritual
beginnings of humanity.

Loving and being Loved – a basic fundamental human
need. Puts us in touch with the awesome love God has for
us.
Ultimately, our faith response is a choice, when freely given,
brings us into a lifelong relationship with our Creator.
Unit 1 notes.04