Tuesday, 15 September 2026

Bespoke revelation and salvation - God goes beyond Systems

I recently posted about some of the "Systems" which we might imagine God setting-up to provide humans with revelation; and something analogous could be said for salvation. 

In principle; a creator God might provide salvation built-into all who were suitable (i.e. a version of predestination), via schemata provided by scripture (as for some kinds of Evangelical Protestant), with the necessary intermediary of a church (perhaps a more Roman Catholic view); or to each person individually and directly.


If we go a step further; we could imagine that God could simultaneously provide all of the above (maybe an Anglican view) - and more.

And with that "and more"; we have then gone beyond System

And we are imagining a God whose basic method of communication and provision of eternal life is "bespoke" or tailor-made to fit a specific individual: i.e. bespoke mechanisms of revelation, bespoke provision of the possibility of salvation.  


So, do we envisage God as doing his spiritual work in a one-size-fits-all way - a single method of revelation, a single path of salvation?

Or is God more like an off-the-peg provider - offering a particular range of sizes and products; each of which approximately fits the commonest shapes and circumstances of the multitude of different persons?

Or is God like the most ideal bespoke tailor, who (as it were) takes our spiritual measurements, discovers our character and motivational requirements - and then offers us something uniquely built-around our nature and constraints?


Such a God would offer us our actual life; as it actually is here and today; as the medium for revelation and salvation.


If so, if that is how our God operates; then it would be a serious mistake to attempt to fit our actual life and aspirations into any standard form or system. 

At best, we would be rejecting the bespoke suit and instead be choosing something off the peg, that fitted only approximately. 

At worst we might be trying to wear and work-in a single-sized uni-purpose garment; grossly unsuited to our distinctive self and situation. 


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