The Two Books: A look at the intertwining role of special revelation (Scripture) and general revelation in the theological task of discovering God.

An Essay on the Two Books

Introduction

The concept of “two books” of God is an idea that has been doing the round in theological circles for a long period of time now. Lay people too have engaged in heated discourse about this concept without even knowing that they are contributing to the discussion on the two books of God. Some of the world’s most heated arguments are centred on the concept of two books of God but what are these two books? One would be excused for thinking that this essay is about to introduce a second never before seen version of the Bible or at least a version that is disputed. This assumption will not be very far from the truth.

The theological theory of the two books stems from the school of thought that views God’s message to man in two ways. There is the straight forward message that he has for humanity and this was transmitted through the prophets and other inspired persons in the form of the Bible. There is also in-born conventional wisdom about the existence of God, a knowledge that is independent of any written text or organized religion. The names assigned to these manifestations of God’s message to man are special revelation and general revelation. It is believed that everything that is in the bible including the central message of salvation captured in the gospels is the special revelation. In a sense it is also more specific. General revelation on the other hand is a culmination of the different ways humans experience God and his power. This book is in the form of the natural world.

To many, any talk of nature evokes thoughts of science and conventional street knowledge places an iron curtain between science and religion. Many a time in popular culture, science is depicted as religion’s main enemy while religion is depicted as incompatible with science. To some extent, key players from both divides have contributed to this notion. Controversies that have been elevated to the world stage include issues like stem cell research; cloning and also research on the ‘God particle’ have served to highlight this fact. Some of the world’s famous atheists happen to be respected scientists and they are more known for their criticisms of religion, the most famous being Dr. Steven Hawkins who is quoted to have equated religious knowledge to the fairy tales in children’s story books. Controversy aside, it is important to focus on how these two branches of knowledge complement each other since this brings about the good in both forms of knowledge and also possibly increases the level of understanding thus enhancing the religious and scientific experiences. This can only happen when people resolve to complement their scientific knowledge with theological knowledge (White, 2010).

In the conceptual framework that takes into account the general revelation as well as the special revelation, God is at the very top since he is the originator of all knowledge and wisdom whether it is found in scripture or found in nature. It is in nature that this general revelation is found while special revelation is found in scripture. The significance of the knowledge that is in both of these instances has to be subjected to a process of interpretation by human beings. The deliberate interpretation of scripture is known as Theology whereas nature is interpreted through what we know as science.

The key goal of theology is to facilitate the understanding of realities that are found in scriptures and science is concerned with gaining an understanding of the natural realities. For this reason, it is not logically sensible for a person to compare scientific knowledge with scripture since one is in aits pure form, uninterprated while the other has been thoroughly processed in a scholarly manner. In the same way, it makes little sense for one to compare theology and nature side by side for the same reason any person who makes this mistake runs the risk of oversimplification of matters he or she does not understand.
Theology and science however can be compared mutually because of the fact that they have both gone through the thought process and have been dissected and expressed in a more understandable manner. While the concept of nature and scripture is too complex to be analysed side by side, theology and science are comparatively or relatively simpler in their nature. At this stage, one’s scientific experience can be influenced by scientific knowledge while the same applies for a person’s scientific experience.

Prayer for example is very spiritual and inclined to the side of scripture; however, most of the things that people pray to God about are very physical in nature. When one is sick for instance, he prays for God to heal him. This individual probably has access to conventional medical care. In the process of seeing a physician, a lot of scientific knowledge comes into play during the consultation. When the doctor makes a spot on diagnosis, the patient will be placed on a regimen of drugs that will restore his health. The person’s religious experience is enhanced by his appreciation for the fact that God grants the doctor knowledge on how to isolate the illness and decide on an appropriate treatment strategy.

Theology has several illustrations that point to the general revelation. This is seen in the fact that scriptures point to God as the originator of everything tangible and intangible. The natural world is all attributed to God’s work as seen in the creation story captured in the book of Genesis. Here we see that it was all created so that God’s creation would worship him. Man is given dominion over all this though from time to time we see God’s hand in the control of natural events in a manner that is not even remotely understandable to humans. In the gospels, there is the famous story of Jesus calming the Storm and performing other great miracles that defy the natural order of things.

When it comes to science, working backwards to the origin of the universe points to a great cataclysmic event whose originator is mysterious and has immense power. This is in tandem with the natural belief of the existence of God or a supreme being as some say. This is because even those who are not into science get awestruck by events in their contemplation over their own existence. This is why human populations that have lived in total isolation will still be found to have some form of religion so that they can pay homage to the great power that supplies them with life. Whether one’s approach to science is rudimentary or legendary, one thing remains for sure; discovering new things in one’s environment is tantamount to exploring the nature of the originator of these things.

When it comes to specific interactions that take place between science and theology, historical evidence from the 1500s shows that there was a time when scientific belief of the age was skewed by misinterpretation of scripture as well as the misguided application of scripture to the scientific realm (Hellyer, 2013). In the book of proverbs and psalm however, there are examples of wisdom that doctors are ever trying to convey to their patients. David for instance talks about how guilt weighed heavily and took a toll on his health. In the New Testament Jesus cautions believers against worry since it does not add any value. Today there is empirical evidence that shows a direct link between stress and an individual’s health. The emphasis however is for people to cast all their anxieties to God rather than burden themselves.

Another example is in the exodus when the Jews were given strict instructions about keeping surplus manna from heaven after they had eaten to their fill. The practice of cleaning out food storage areas is known to have saved the Jews from the bubonic plague that hit Europe over four centuries ago. The absence of extra food kept the rats away thus keeping them safe.

Many specific interactions between theology and science are however highly subjective to those who are having the experiences. An effective strategy of getting the most out of the two books is to prioritize the special revelation, the Bible and then seek out general revelations because this way, one begins by understanding God’s message and the expectations laid out for human beings. The reading of the general book is a process whereby a person experiences God in his or her daily life experiences. This could explain why some locations are more revered by believers when it comes to prayer destinations. Perhaps it is something about the ambience that provides these people with a surreal experience that is tantamount to connecting with the Creator (Rusbult, 2004).

References

Rusbult, C. PhD (2004) The Two Books of God, the Bible and Nature (Inteprated by Theology and Science) Retrieved from http://www.asa3.org/ASA/education/origins/two-books.htm on April 20, 2013

White, A. D. (2010). History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christend. Echo Library.

Hellyer, M. (2013). Catholic physics. University of Notre Dame Press.