REVELATION:
the act whereby GOD discloses Himself and/or His will to mankind. In
JUDAISM, revelation comes through the HEBREW BIBLE, in CHRISTIANITY the HEBREW
BIBLE and NEW TESTAMENT contain God's revelation while in ISLAM the QUR'N
is the unique revelation of God. HINDUISM associates revelation with ruti or "what is
heard" and has increasingly seen this in connection with the VEDAS,
UPANISHADS and other religious literature. BUDDHISM treats the sayings of the BUDDHA
as a FORM of revelation although it denies the involvement of God while JAINISM denies all
SUPERNATURAL sources of revelation. In other TRADITIONS, revelation comes from ANCESTORS
and GODS for specific purposes. Traditionally the ABRAMIC religions have claimed that
revelation ended with the CANON of their SCRIPTURES. Claims about continuing revelation
have led to REVITALIZATION MOVEMENTS and religious REVIVALISM which often provoked the
wrath of the ORTHODOX who saw such claims as HERESY. Recently such ideas have become
popular in the Christian CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT where PROPHETS and PROPHECY are an
increasingly common phenomena.