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Glite Dictionary
theophany

theophany

1 9.9
An appearance of a god that people can see or feel
  • noun
  • /θiˈɑfəni/
  • Specialized
translation icon : teofanía
  • The article discusses the interpretation of biblical theophanies in Byzantine hymns associated with the so-called Improperia tradition.
  • biblical theophanies
  • Old Testament theophanies
  • Testament theophanies

Examples

  • The disciples were on a mountain, symbolic of the place for theophanies.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Along these lines, we can also recognize Jesus' birth, baptism, and transfiguration as theophanies, too.

    Blog text (32)

  • Books 2-3 are concerned with a reading of Old Testament theophanies.

    Academic text (2003)

  • It will be a theophany, a self revelation of God, of worldwide scope.

  • The use of Old Testament theophanies as building blocks for Christology is a prominent and characteristic feature of early Christian thought.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The interpretation of biblical theophanies holds an important place in the polemical and catechetical articulation of early Christianity's religious claims.

    Academic text (2007)

  • During the ceremony, many reported experiencing a theophany, feeling a divine presence enveloping them.

  • The painting depicts a miraculous theophany, illustrating a moment when God revealed Himself to humanity.

  • Throughout history, various cultures have recorded instances of theophany, where individuals claimed to have encountered gods.

Synonyms

vision
vstheophany
185 8.4

An experience of seeing a spiritual being or image

is a direct perceptible appearance rather than a mere seen image
Shekinah
vstheophany
  • Specialized
9.9

A visible presence of God that people feel in holy places

is the general visible manifestation of a deity to a human
theopathy
vstheophany
  • Specialized
9.9

A strong spiritual feeling of direct contact with a god

is a perceptible appearance rather than mainly an internal emotional event

Antonyms

hiddenness
1 7.8

A state in which something is out of sight and hard to notice or understand

How Intense

theophany
  • Specialized
1 9.9
theopathy
  • Specialized
9.9
vision
185 8.4
experience
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

theophany singular
theophanies plural

Morphology

theophany = theo + phany

The word is built from Greek combining forms 'theo-' and '-phany' that are not standalone English words, so the meaning is not predictable for an average B1 learner without knowledge of these roots.

Etymology

Theophany comes from Greek parts theo- meaning 'god' and phainein meaning 'to show'. So a theophany is literally a 'god showing' when a god appears to people, and you can remember the 'to show' part from the related word epiphany.