5 Theoretical Models of Revelation (adapted from Avery Dulles, Models of Revelation) MODEL I MODEL II MODEL III MODEL IV MODEL V (Doctrinal) (Historical) (Experiential) (Paradoxical) (New Awareness) When the divine Moment when mysteries are taught and then recorded in revelation clear propositions or occurs: concepts; Form: Content: A message in words formulated in clear propositions or concepts; in Islam, wahi. Propositions taken from: Torah (for Jews); Bible (for Christians; Quran (for Muslims). When human writers recognize & interpret deeds and events in which God discloses God's self. Creation of the world; God's liberating acts in history Revelation grounds the Revelation is absolutely conviction that evil (lies, idols, different forms of slavery, and ultimately death) will not be the final for salvation. word. "I believe", a firm assent to the truths revealed in Unwavering trust and hope (without slipping into facile the authoritative optimism). sources; in Islam, "submission". General Conservative Representative Evangelicals Sunni Muslims. s: Cullmann - Salvation History; Liberation theologies; Muslim memory of the first 4 caliphs. When the human When God takes the imagination is stimulated to initiative to reveal God's self think in a new way, to through an encounter restructure awareness marked by paradox. according to a new framework An encounter with a person, a passage of Scripture, a ceremony where God both reveals & conceals Godself A breakthrough into a more responsive stage of human consciousness; it can emerge at the level of psyche, or through social analysis & reflection, but leads to action God lovingly communicating God's self to the soul (not information about the past or abstract doctrine). For Christians, Christ, the incarnate Word, who not only reveals God, but also reveals us to ourselves; in Islam, recovery of fitra (innocence). No fixed content (does not disclose God as object); whatever anticipations of the "God's reign" that are discernable from this new awareness Revelation constitutes salvation itself (does not depend on doctrine). Salvific insofar that it is a Revelation is a saving participation in God's transaction, not increasing creative-redemptive activity knowledge but transforming leading toward universal human existence. reconciliation and fulfillment A direct encounter with the Authoritative narratives (e.g. divine. Consider: Bible; Quran) and 1 John 1:1 interpretations of God's Teresa of Avila; deeds Mansur Al-Hallaj Relationship of necessary because it Revelation to provides access to information necessary Salvation: Appropriate Response: When a person has an immediate, interior perception of God's presence. A religious attitude or prayerful outlook (does NOT Faith, which is an intrinsic part of revelation; faith gives require adherence to self-understanding. doctrine or require a particular action per se). Active participation in the movement whereby God leads creation forward to its ultimate fulfillment Mystics; Sufis; Shamans; In the Protestant tradition: Schleirermacher Barth; Bultmann; Brunner. "feelings": liberal Protestantism. Feminist theologies; Eco-theology (Pope Francis); Social Justice. Evaluation of the 5 Models of Revelation by 7 Criteria (Strengths & Weaknesses) 7 Criteria MODEL I MODEL II MODEL III MODEL IV MODEL V (Doctrinal) (Historical) (Experiential) (Paradoxical) (New Awareness) STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Faithfulness to the tradition Bible sometimes speaks in this way, as though God deliv ered messages in human language; So does the Quran. Bible itself employ s many dif f erent literary f orms & conv entions (e.g. poetry, legend, genealogies) Internal Coherence If premises accepted, conclusions f ollow quite readily. Tends to "objectif y " theological knowledge Little appeal to sy mbolic language, y et the Bible and the Quran of ten use sy mbolic language. Plausibility Theoretical Fruitfulness Firm norms, simple method; giv es a clear sense of identity ; promotes unity & growth of the tradition; giv es sense of mission Little room f or questioning or seeking God in one's lif e. Fails to satisf y the quest f or religious understanding (too narrow theology ); encourages complacency. WEAKNESSES STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Can lead to spiritual elitism, which is of ten criticized in the Bible. (The latter more of ten proposes an election model.) Bible is history only in a broad sense, not critical sense; little grounding in earlier traditions STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES STRENGTHS Recognizes dy namic pattern to history ; more organic & f lexible, meaning of ev ents can be f ormulated many way s. Primacy of ev ents ov er words not conv incing (ev ents are not self -interpreting, they need words); "Acts of God" not well def ined. Av oids collision between science and rev elation; believ ers needn't justif y their belief s Paradox is of ten relied upon as a Paradox prov ides teaching tool in meanings that are the Bible & in of ten opaque. other religious traditions. Of f ers no div ine answers to lif e's questions; quest f or meaning theref ore remains unsatisf ied How to v erif y the historicity of ev ents, e.g. the resurrection of Jesus? Encourages palpable relationship with God (lov e in concrete action) Seems to f ail to meet the problem of ev il, that persists throughout history. Is it only the self experiencing the self ? (A mere projection, as Ludwig Feuerbach thought) Stimulates piety & lif e of dev otion Leads to excesses of interiority and indiv idualism. Of f ers no clear content. Connects spirituality with theology The expression "experiencing God" can be quite misleading. Permits an encounter with God as sov ereign my stery Rev iv ed Trinitarian & Protestant theology WEAKNESSES Stresses the immanence, rather than the trans-cendence (= other -ness) of God. Clashes theref ore with scripture. If Christ is rev ealed ev ery where, Rev risks becoming a mere cipher (representing ev ery thing & If meaning is unclear, then God remains unrev ealed. Less authoritarian, allows a more Rather authoritarian critical approach; acceptance of rev elation not a blind leap Adequacy to Experience Practical Fruitfulness STRENGTHS Fits well with biblical theology (Bible of ten f ocuses attention on God's great deeds f or his people) If reality of God's self -communication is discerned only by f aith, then its reality can seem arbitrary & tenuous. More acceptable to contemporary sensibilities; harmonizes with an ev olutionist understanding of history. May giv e rise to a sense of superiorty, in that prev ious generations are v iewed as less ev olv ed, less aware. Role of reason is downplay ed. Av oids rigidity & authoritarianism; appeals to minds committed to f reedom & progress Somewhat restrictiv e def inition of "experience": (corresponds to only certain ty pes of experience). For Christians: Not clear how Christ of f aith is related to Jesus of history ; Encourages human action, & creativ ity ; more social and pragmatic. Av oids withdrawal into indiv idualism God becomes less my sterious, more mundane. Tends towards a certain "f ideism". Appeals to the activ e & pragmatic, but doesn't satisf y those of a more speculativ e mindset. Value for Dialogue Not f av orable to dialogue with other religions. Conv inced of possessing the pure & complete deposit of God's rev elation Tends to limit original rev elation to a particular time & place and to a particular people. Conduciv e to dialogue, since all religions can be considered self -rev elations of God When rev elation is f ocused only upon the Christ ev ent, then interreligious dialogue becomes more dif f icult. Widely ecumenical, well adapted to inter-f aith dialogue; rev elation is present univ ersally & unthematically
