General revelation (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A): Revision Note

What is general revelation?

• Revelation is when something that was hidden becomes known:

  • For many religious people, revelation comes from God and reveals something about God

• There are two types of revelation:

  • General (or indirect) revelation

  • Special (or direct) revelation

• General revelation is given its name because it is available to everyone

• This is often used to describe the way God is revealed through the natural world, and it can come through:

  • Reason and conscience: 

    • Reason is the human ability to think morally and logically

    • Some believe conscience is God’s “voice within”

    • This is supported by scripture, which states: “The requirements of the law are written on their hearts” (Romans 2:15)

  • Other people:

    • Observing kindness, love and moral behaviour in others

    • Role models and acts of compassion reveal something of God’s nature

  • Worship and scripture: 

    • Although scripture is written and is not natural, it is still considered general revelation

How can nature act as a way of understanding the divine?

• There are many ways in which nature can act as a way of understanding the divine

• For Christians, the fact that nature is so beautiful shows that God must be the creator and that what is important to God can be seen in the world:

  • For Christians, qualities such as harmony and beauty must come from God and be found in God

  • This could be seeing a sunset, mountain range or the vastness of space and feeling God’s presence

  • Similarly, the laws of science that describe the way in which the world works so perfectly show that God must have designed the world

  • This also relates to scripture, which states: 

• Experiencing nature can create feelings of awe and wonder that point to the divine:

  • For example, seeing the Northern Lights

  • In Christianity, the Bible states: 

• Many religions also believe that nature provides humans with a moral awareness:

  • The belief is that observing the balance of nature or interdependence in ecosystems can teach moral lessons about care and stewardship

  • This is supported through scripture in Christianity, which states: “God gave humans stewardship over creation” (Genesis 2:15), and in Islam, which states: “Nature is a sign (ayah) of Allah, so it must be respected” (Qur’an 45:3)

• Finally, nature can be viewed as a sign of God’s presence:

  • This belief is that nature acts as a signpost pointing to God’s existence

  • In Muslim scripture, this is supported by the Qur’an, which describes the heavens, earth and living creatures as signs for those who reflect (Qur’an 3:190)

How can scripture help to understand the divine?

• Scriptures are sacred texts used by religions, such as the Bible in Christianity

• Christians believe that the Bible was “divinely inspired” because God directed people to write the books within it:

  • Some parts of scripture were dictated by God specifically (prophecies), and others tell stories of what God did (gospels) or talk about Him (psalms) 

  • Lots of different truths about God are revealed in the Bible

• In Islam, the Qur’an is the unchanged word of Allah, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) via the angel Jibril:

  • It is therefore hugely significant in understanding God and the world we live in for Muslims

• There are many ways in which scripture can help people understand the divine

God’s nature

• Many religious people believe that scripture helps to reveal God’s nature:

  • For example, in Christianity, the Bible shows God as loving, just and omnipotent

  • In Psalm 103, the description of God is of a compassionate God

God’s will

• Scripture can also help to reveal God’s will:

  • It can give moral guidance to followers and show them the correct actions to take

  • For example, the Ten Commandments for Christians and the laws within the Qur’an

God’s actions

• Scripture can also provide examples of God’s actions:

  • Stories of miracles, covenants and prophecies show how God interacts with the world

  • For example, the Exodus story of God freeing the Israelites

God’s authority

• For most religious people, scripture is a major source of authority:

  • Many believers see scripture as the ultimate standard for truth about God

It shapes beliefs, worship and religious practices