What are hierophants?

What are hierophants?

It is a term, once commonly used by the Greeks. It is regaining currency.

It is a person who interprets, unfolds and explains mysteries.

The Christian - Paul, the apostle, claimed to be a steward of the mysteries of God.

Hierophants - genuine hierophants - are of enormous help to the human race. This is particularly so, where they open the mysteries of God, creation, humanity, life, suffering, wisdom and purpose to human beings. They help us to proceed with a new sense of confidence. The greatest of hierophants - in my opinion - begins with Jesus of Nazareth.

'Never has anyone spoken like this' (John 7:46).

The list of hierophants - then burgeons out. It harks back to Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, David (Psalms) and Moses and Abraham - and then it ranges down through the teachings and peculiar insights of Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus), Peter, John, Luke, Mark, Matthew and so on.

Further on there is the genius of Athanasius, the great (though fallible) Augustine, Luther (although uncouth), Calvin, Wesley, Whitfield, Edwards, Kierkegaard, James Denney, R.W. Dale, P.T. Forsyth, Karl Barth, T.F. Torrance, James Torrance, N.T. Wright, Alister McGrath, Os Guinness, Leslie Newbigin, J.I. Packer, Eberhard Jungel, Geoffrey C. Bingham, Dean Carter, John Piper, Tom Smail, Baxter Kruger, Daniel Shayesteh and the list goes on.

Of course, to be more endearing to many readers, I should also have mentioned Miriam, Mary Magdalene, Timothy's mother Eunice, and grandmother Lois, Phoebe (Paul's fellow worker), Priscilla, Susannah Wesley, and the lovely woman with the 'pair of pig-tails', next to Martin Luther, my mum - Betty, my wife - Lynne, and so many others - not by way of tokenism, but by way of recognition as joint heirs in the grace of life. But... I mentioned those who have helped me most in terms of my reading, and the insights they have given through their teaching.

I wonder who the hierophants are, who have helped you most?