Question: God and Revelation - Paper #2 - Rubric (1000 words - include word count in paper. Deductions for not doing so.)
- As a setting or backdrop to this paper think about a definition of faith as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1, New Testament) and divine revelation being, "God's free disclosure of God's self or God's plans or intentions to an individual person or to human beings in general." (Class notes)."
- Does faith depend upon revelation or does revelation depend upon faith? Examine this question based upon a careful reading of Saul of Tarsus'/St. Paul's experience as it is described in Acts Chapter 9 and as he himself describes it in SecondCorinthians 12. (Note: it would be inaccurate to say that Paul had no faith before his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus as he was a pious and zealous Jew (2 Cor. 12)
- Describe a "Damascus Road" experience or an experience of divine or supernatural revelation from your own life or from the life of a close friend or family member. This may well involve a conversation with this person which you should duly cite - "In a conversation with my Mom ..."
- Should you be of a faith tradition other than Christian or should you be a person of no or uncertain faith, you can use the experience of another person, friend or family member as described in the previous paragraph.(St. Paul describes faith as one of several spiritual gifts
1 Cor. 13. Does this mean that if a person has no faith that they have not been so gifted or have not sought this gift?)
- This paper will provide you with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the concepts of God, Revelation and Faith and how they are functionally related.