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Glite Dictionary
christophany

christophany

1 9.9
An appearance of Christ to people, usually in a vision
  • noun
  • /krɪsˈtɒfəni/
  • Specialized
: cristofanía
  • Many theologians have debated the meaning of each christophany in the New Testament.

Examples

  • The vision was interpreted as a christophany by the early church.

  • The disciples described the event as a christophany that strengthened their faith.

  • A christophany can be transformative.

  • The christophany at the Last Supper was deeply meaningful.

  • In the painting, the artist depicted a christophany conveying the divine presence of Christ to the onlookers.

  • Many theologians refer to the transfiguration of Jesus as a significant christophany in Christian teachings.

  • The book discusses a specific christophany described in the Bible where Christ revealed himself to his apostles.

Surface Forms

christophany singular
christophanies plural

Morphology

christophany = Christ (semi-transparent) = christ + phany

Formed from 'Christ' plus the Greek-derived combining element '-phany' meaning 'appearance'; clear in theological compounds but the combining element is not common vocabulary for average learners.

Etymology

Christophany joins Christ 'anointed one' and the ending -phany 'appearance', like in epiphany. So a christophany is a showing or appearance of Christ.