Abstract
Intrinsic to the concept of revelation is that it comes to a subject from beyond. Numerous thinkers have emphasised that any compromise to the absolute nature of this transcendence would entail a compromise to the revelatory character of revelation. However, for revelation actually to occur, there must be some sort of appearing to a subject; that which is transcendent must enter the immanence of experience. Such an entry into immanence could suggest that any occurrence of revelation is impossible by definition because it compromises the absolute character of revelation’s transcendence and entails a self-contradiction.
One way of responding to this concern is to prohibit interpretation of revelation, ensuring that revelation is received with precisely the transcendent character with which it is given. However, this would result in any and every transcendence being welcomed as revelation, solely on the basis of its transcendence. As Richard Kearney argues, such an approach gives us no way of distinguishing between angels and demons. It is also possible that some experiences of revelation may be subjective projections rather than divine revelation.
Therefore, it is very important that a means of distinguishing different experiences of transcendence be identified. There have been two main approaches to this task of critical assessment and selection. First, one can appeal to authority, which offers clarity, but depersonalises and generalises the personal and particular character of revelatory experience. Since Descartes, such appeals are largely discredited as uncritical. Alternatively, Hans-Georg Gadamer proposes an ongoing, provisional, critical hermeneutics in his discussion of dialogue and conversation as models for human understanding. This essay explains how Gadamer’s approach might be applied to the reception of revelation, arguing that his approach allows us to preserve the essential character of both revelation and human experience.
An earlier version of parts of this essay appeared as “Discerning the Transcendent,” Doctrine and Life 67, no. 4 (April 2017): 37–47.
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- 1.
Taylor distinguishes three types of secularity, focussing his analysis on the third of these: (1) a separation of Church and State, in which social activity is divided into various autonomous spheres (political, educational, economic, etc.) that operate solely with values that are internal to themselves, without reference to God or ultimate reality; (2) a decline in religious belief and practice; (3) a shift “from a society in which it was virtually impossible not to believe in God, to one in which faith … is one human possibility among others” (2007, 2–3).
- 2.
Marion cites three examples of how such a decentring might be conceived: the immanent and originary passivity of self-affectivity (Michel Henry), the self-givenness of originary flesh prior to the distinction between immanence and transcendence (Didier Franck), and the inversion of intentionality when the face of another imposes an ethical injunction on the I (Emmanuel Levinas) (Marion 2008, 14).
- 3.
Marion argues that there already examples of a variety of horizons in different phenomenologies: “objectivity (Husserl), Being (Heidegger), ethics (Levinas), the fleshed body (Merleau-Ponty), etc.” (Marion 2008, 14; translation modified).
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Mackinlay, S. (2020). Whose Word Is It Anyway? Interpreting Revelation. In: Marion, JL., Jacobs-Vandegeer, C. (eds) The Enigma of Divine Revelation. Contributions to Hermeneutics, vol 7. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28132-8_3
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