The Mosaic of Christian Belief: Twenty Centuries of Unity & Diversity

by Roger E. Olson

have led to diverse beliefs about divine revelation. Often a pendulum swing effect has come into play leading to Christian theologians and groups going to extremes against each other. One polarity within the broad Christian consensus tradition about divine revelation is over general (universal) revelation versus special (particular) revelation. This includes the issue of a possible natural knowledge of God based on general revelation and reason. Another polarity within Christian belief has to do with the issue of the nature of special, supernatural, particular revelation: Is it primarily personal or propositional? Finally, some Christians have assumed that revelation is completed while others have argued that revelation continues to unfold. These differences of interpretation have led to great diversity and even at times hostility within Christianity between groups of Christian teachers and their followers. Sometimes this manifests a false “either-or” mentality and the search for a “both-and” approach is badly needed.