Theophanies (Type-Scene 4)

If I were to ask you what feast Christians celebrate on January 6th, what would you say? It probably depends on which Christian tradition you were brought up in. If you are a western Christian, you’d probably say “Epiphany.” But, if you’re an eastern Christian, you will probably respond “Theophany” instead. Now, they are the same feast and, at the same time, they aren’t. There are some major theological differences in the emphasis between east and west, but, I’m much more interested in the difference between the words. What exactly does “Epiphany” mean and what exactly does “Theophany” mean? And, what does the difference in definition tell us? The Bottom Line: Our 4th type scene is “Theophanies,” which is a revelation of God.