Knowing God: The Doctrine Of Revelation Essay Example

it is germane to associate ideas of natural revelation or natural religion to general revelation. (Bolt, John. 2011, p. 316) "Because this general awareness of God is universal, we can speak of a natural religion- a religious response of human beings to the presence and speaking of God in creation"(Bolt, John. 2011, p. 316). The Sources to Knowledge of God

The feasibility of knowing God is a tantalizing thought which frequently brings up the question of how. No human being can thoroughly discern God or be aware of His essential being. Any knowledge we have of Him is limited in part [not to be fully disclosed until the eschaton]. Christian philosophers submit a range of approaches as to what articulates the basic path to gain insight concerning God.(Grenz, Stanley. 2000, p. 45)

Reason

Several Christian philosophers believe it is feasible to partially, yet genuinely know God by virtue of intellectual reflection. e.g., that we can discern God by virtue of reasoning or deduction.

A proponent of this method is Thomas Aquinas. According to Thomas, God can be known through the divine works or "effects" evident to all through our sense of experience of this world. Through this process we can draw certain conclusions concerning God. We may assert that He exist. And by employing the principle of analogy between creation and Creator, we can stipulate whatever must by necessity be true of God as the first Cause of the world.(Grenz, 2000, p. 46)

Thomas recommends three approaches that we can use to deduce information about God: a)via causalitatis (the way of causality)- we can assign definite characteristics to God supported

by the perfection we see in nature; b) via negations (the way of negation) -advises us to get rid of any concept of God whereby negative qualities found in creatures are attribute to Him and give God the opposite perfection; c) via eminentiae (the way of eminence)- allowsus to assign to God in the most prestigious demeanor the perfections we find in humans.(Grenz, 2000, p. 46)

Religious Experience

Religious experience is a theory which advocates that we do not learn about God diffusely as a result of logical deliberation or hypothetical maxims, but by virtue of an intimate encounter with God. Theology, as such, is not the categorization of scholarly thought concerning God, but the intelligent contemplation on our religious experience. The theologian, in turn, enunciates the fundamental truth supported in the experience.(Grenz, S. 2000, p. 47)

Proponents of this theory are at variance about the nature of the typical characteristics of an encounter. A religious experience can run the gamut from God talking to an individual, to an individual being cognizant of God's existence, or having a miraculous healing. Consequently it is difficult to pigeonhole them with specifics. Nonetheless, what all of these encounters do have in common is that these encounters are exceptionally distinctive from everyday run of the mill experiences.(Richards, Stephen A. 1999, p. 1)

God's Self-Revelation

All knowledge of God comes by way of revelation. Human knowledge of God is revealed knowledge since God, and God alone, gives it. He bridges the gap between Himself and His creatures, disclosing Himself and His will to them. By God alone can God be known. (Dockery, David. 1991)