Revelation

==Types==
{{Refimprove section|date=July 2012}}

===Individual revelation===
[[Thomas Aquinas]] believed in two types of individual revelation from [[God in Christianity|God]], ''[[general revelation]]'' and ''[[special revelation]]''. In [[general revelation]], God reveals himself through his creation, such that at least some truths about God can be learned by the [[empiricism|empirical]] study of [[Physis|nature]], [[physics]], [[cosmology]], etc., to an individual. Special revelation is the knowledge of God and spiritual matters which can be discovered through [[supernatural]] means, such as scripture or miracles, by individuals. [[Direct revelation]] refers to communication from God to someone in particular.

Though one may deduce the existence of God and some of God's attributes through general revelation, certain specifics may be known only through special revelation. Aquinas believed that special revelation is equivalent to the revelation of God in Jesus. The major theological components of Christianity, such as the [[Trinity]] and the [[Incarnation]], are revealed in the teachings of the church and the scriptures and may not otherwise be deduced. Special revelation and general revelation are complementary rather than contradictory in nature.

According to [[Dumitru Stăniloae]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]’s position on general/special revelation is in stark contrast to [[Protestantism|Protestant]] and [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] theologies that see a clear difference between general and special revelation and tend to argue that the former is not sufficient to salvation. In Orthodox Christianity, he argues, there is no separation between the two and supernatural revelation merely embodies the former in historical persons and actions.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Staniloae|first=Staniloae|title=Orthodox Dogmatic Theology: The Experience of God v. 1 (Orthodox Dogmatic Theology, Volume 1 : Revelation and Knowledge of the Triune God|publisher=T.& T.Clark Ltd|year=2000|isbn=978-0917651700}}</ref>

"[[Continuous revelation]]" is a term for the theological position that God continues to reveal divine principles or commandments to humanity.

In the 20th century, religious [[existentialist]]s proposed that revelation held no content in and of itself but rather that God inspired people with his presence by coming into contact with them. Revelation is a human response that records how we respond to God.

The philosopher [[Friedrich Nietzsche]], wrote of his personal experience of inspiration and his own experience of “the idea of revelation” in his work ''[[Ecce Homo (book)]]'':
{{Blockquote|Has any one at the end of the nineteenth century any distinct notion of what poets of a stronger age understood by the word inspiration? If not, I will describe it. If one had the smallest vestige of superstition left in one, it would hardly be possible completely to set aside the idea that one is the mere incarnation, mouthpiece, or medium of an almighty power. The idea of revelation, in the sense that something which profoundly convulses and upsets one becomes suddenly visible and audible with indescribable certainty and accuracy—describes the simple fact. One hears—one does not seek; one takes—one does not ask who gives: a thought suddenly flashes up like lightning, it comes with necessity, without faltering—I have never had any choice in the matter.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nietzsche |first1=Friedrich |editor1-last=Levy |editor1-first=Oscar |translator1-last=Ludovici |translator1-first=Anthony M. |title=The Complete Works of Friedrich Nietzsche. Vol. 17 Ecce Homo |date=1911 |publisher=The MacMillan Company |location=New York |pages=101–102 |url=https://archive.org/details/TheCompleteWorksOfFriedrichNietzschevol.17-EcceHomo |access-date=3 May 2022}}</ref>}}

===Public revelation===
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[[File:The Ten Commandments (Bible Card).jpg|thumb|right|upright|100px|The mass-revelation at the [[Mount Horeb]] in an illustration from a Christian Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company, 1907]]
Some religious groups believe a deity has been revealed or spoken to a large group of people or have legends to a similar effect. In the [[Book of Exodus]], [[Yahweh]] is said to have given [[Ten Commandments]] to the [[Israelites]] at [[Biblical Mount Sinai|Mount Sinai]]. In [[Christianity]], the [[Book of Acts]] describes the [[Pentecost|Day of Pentecost]] wherein the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples of [[Jesus]] in the form of fire that they began praising in tongues and experienced mass revelation. The [[Lakota people]] believe [[White Buffalo Calf Woman|Ptesáŋwiŋ]] spoke directly to the people in the establishment of Lakota religious traditions. Some versions of an [[Aztec mythology|Aztec legend]] tell of [[Huitzilopochtli]] speaking directly to the Aztec people upon their arrival at [[Anahuac (Aztec)|Anåhuac]]. Historically, some [[List of people who have been considered deities|emperors, cult leaders, and other figures]] have also been deified and treated as though their words are themselves revelations.
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