Revelation and the Word of God - by Paul Avis (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Why do we need a revelation? How far can human reason provide a natural knowledge of God? How is revelation connected with history and with the Bible? This volume explores what we should believe about the Word in its threefold form - Jesus Christ - the incarnate Word (Logos) and Wisdom (Sophia) of God - and provides pastoral and practical guidance"--

Book Synopsis

Why is revelation so elusive? What does it mean to say, as the Bible does, that God 'speaks' and 'acts'? How does revelation relate to the Bible, history, religious experience and the church?
A unique work of Fundamental Theology, Revelation and the Word of God explores these key issues of divine revelation as open questions. Paul Avis tackles existential and philosophical problems of revelation in the context of apologetics. Additionally, he delves into the questions of what the biblical Wisdom tradition contributes to our understanding of revelation, the self-revelation of God in mystery as well as its relational and personalist dimensions.
This focused, considered book also interrogates the threefold form of the Word of God: Jesus Christ - the incarnate Word and Wisdom of God; the Scriptures that witness to him; and the church's proclamation in preaching, sacraments and other ways. Providing pastoral and practical guidance, Avis cuts to the heart of key issues of revelation, regarding the role of hermeneutics, cultural constraints and imagination in its reception. Furthermore, he examines critiques of claimed 'revelation', the issue of revelation today as well as how it could relate to developments in doctrine and practice.

Review Quotes

In this scholarly and accessible study, Paul Avis explores the centrality of divine revelation to Christian theology. Stressing the creaturely forms through which divine disclosure is apprehended, he shows how Word, Sacrament, and Church shape our understanding of God's unsurpassable revelation in Christ. With characteristic lucidity and judicious commentary, Professor Avis again proves a wise and reliable guide on an important theological subject.
David Fergusson, University of Cambridge, UK

What does it really mean, in our time, to talk about God's revelation? In this wide-ranging and original study, Paul Avis directly tackles the biggest challenges - philosophical, theological and pastoral - that this question raises. He shows that an account of revelation is not just a prolegomenon, but rather addresses the heart of Christian faith.
Rachel Muers, University of Edinburgh, UK

With wide-ranging erudition, Paul Avis gets to the heart of the matter and asks if and how we can encounter God. Avis looks unflinchingly and sympathetically at the problems we moderns have with the concept of revelation, but he also puts forth a robust and nuanced account of meeting the living God and making a life with others who are open to the same encounter. This volume is generous, judicious, and profound, a model of good theology.
William T. Cavanaugh, DePaul University, USA

About the Author

Paul Avis is Honorary Professor in the School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, UK, and Editor-in-Chief of Ecclesiology.