Many questions arise from the notion of revelation as the Divine communication of self. For instance, the bugging question of what meaning should be ascribed to revelation, when and where did such revelation occur, how can the veracity of such revelation be discerned and importantly, how does revelation enter into the human experience? If revelation is to be understood as Divine self-communication, how does man partake in such communication, what is his role in the process and ultimately, how does he respond? It is the goal of this paper to identify certain elements, as discussed by theologians, regarding the human experience of Divine revelation. The essential concepts to grasped herein, are the place of reason (intellectual enlightenment) and the role of faith (assenting will), in the supreme and sole act of God.

These highlight the fundamental response of man to the Divine self-communication, as positive and beneficial, wherefore, the revelation is the salvation story of man.

In Karl Rahner’s definition of theology is grasped the fundamental elements of divine revelation: “theology is the conscious and methodical explanation and explication of divine revelation received and grasped in faith [emphasis mine]” (Rahner, 1975). By reception, allusion is made to the human experience in the Divine self-communication, as being the terminus of God’s self-communication, for revelation is essentially infused into the human experience. Revelation is ultimately, a communication, identifiable, between God and man, requiring a response granted by God in the powers of man. Thus, man’s response is through the gift of faith given by God. The essay expounds on the human experience as the terminus of God’s self-communication – thus, Revelation is an event of history and history and at once transcendence and immanence.

REVELATION, WHAT IS IT?

Concerning revelation itself, the council Fathers wrote: “In his goodness and wisdom God chose to reveal Himself and to make known to us then hidden purpose of his will by which through Christ, the Word made flesh, man might in the Holy Spirit have access to the Father and come to share in the divine nature” (Dei Verbum, DV. 2). Revelation is essentially a dialogue between God and man, a religious experience, an encounter with God in which God addresses man, speaks to him, opens His heart to him about his personal life and His plan of salvation. The acts and Word of God properly considered revelation, may be called, anthropomorphic, for just as a man in his actions and words reveal his inward being, so also God.  Revelation is simply the exposition and identity of God, by God to man. Thus, it is in the very nature of the acts and Word of God (verbum incarnatum) that He “anthropomorphises himself” (Auberlen, 1867). This communication of God to man arrives its terminus in the human experience, completed in faith.

This idea of revelation brings to bear its paradox as once transcendence and immanence; for it is both the transcendent activity by which God from all eternity decrees to save man and also the immanent and free divine activity, temporal in effect, by which God intervenes in the story of humanity manifested in the plan of salvation.

Being solely an action of God, it must not however be overlooked, the human experience relevant to the action and result of revelation. Thus, Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) opines, “Revelation...refers to the act in which God shows himself, not to the objectified result of this act, hence the receiving subject is always also a part of the concept of revelation. Where there is no one to perceive “revelation”, no revelation has occurred, because no veil has been removed. By definition, revelation requires a someone who apprehends it...” [emphasis mine] (Milestones 1998)

To be continued…