revelation
experience of knowledge coming to an individual in some sense 'from beyond'. This is pictured as 'the light dawning' or 'a flash of inspiration' with its source not calculatingly controlled. It is often seen as the special characteristic of the Bible, both as containing the words revealed by God to the prophets and by Jesus during his ministry, and as overall the Word of God. The characterisation as 'Sacred Scripture', however, also applies to words and writings in other religious traditions. The source of such Revelation may be perceived as coming from outside the recipient; this is how it is most commonly presented in Christianity, as well as Judaism and Islam. It is also presented as coming from meditational depths inside the recipient, who like the Buddha
finds Enlightenment. The Enlightenment associated with western philosophers, makes much of its preference for the light shed by internal reason. That can be presented as an order of knowledge entirely different from that which is known from scripture or mystical experience. Similarly, 'religious insiders' may sometimes stress the specialness of the Revelation, which they have received, as being of a totally different order from anything else which is known. The challenge for anyone involved in making moral judgements is how to interpret and apply revelatory insights of any kind in the present moment.