Epiphany is serendipitous.
I was listening to a commentator on the "Chiller Channel", which is devoted to horror stories, and something he said went ding in my brain. Then some of the conflicts of source that I have had with the variations in the sources of my religious understandings fell into focus.
Revelation, gnosis, understanding, come from two separate planes: the vertical and the horizontal. Traditional and linear elements come from the horizontal. The Church, the Bible, Theology, exgenesis of thoughts, all come from a horizontal time line. The horizontal is often fragmented, there are gaps, and abandoned roads wrongly taken.
Inspiration, insight, ah-ha's, and "Damascus Road" experiences come from the vertical.
Of course, two planes are best plotted on an X/Y axis.
People who are "Priesthood of the Believer" types, Prophets, and talk radio host have more vertical than horizontal. High Church clergy, traditionalist, historians, and old time religionist are more horizontal.
Now I have plotted so much "stuff" on X/Y axis over the years, including all those internet quizzes as to what religion are you, that it should have soaked in as a model a whole lot earlier, duh. Most readers by now are saying , well yes dummy of course that's the way it is. Sherlock Holmes always had his detractors too, especially after he explained away seemingly dark secrets into the obvious to his skeptical listeners. So there.
Now given my increasing tendency to "senior moments", I may have to discover the relationship again sometime.
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