ABSTRACT
Consideration of what leads Christians to believe the gospel must begin with the question of whether or not God speaks to humanity. Traditional Christian thought has taken it for granted that God has spoken to humanity, and that the Christian message originates in this speech. More recent theologians have, however, largely abandoned this view because they have rejected the idea that revelation is propositional. This rejection must therefore be discussed in any consideration of divine speaking. But such a discussion should not be conceived of as intended to offer a general account of revelation. Revelation is a broader concept than divine speaking. This can be seen in accounts of revelation like the following, which is that of the nineteenth-century theologian Matthias Scheeben (as described by Rene Latourelle):
In the broad sense, God reveals Himself to man through the works of creation which reflect his power and perfections, and also through the communication of the inner light of reason, which makes us capable of knowing the works of God and God Himself in his works. This activity deserves the title of divine message; still, it does not give rise to faith, but only to an imperfect and indirect knowledge of God.
