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Research draft

prophet

vr.tr.prophet · SOC.PER

Let an agent describe prophets and prophethood across traditions accurately and respectfully with attribution, follow representation and naming norms, and separate loose and secular uses of the word.

Thing Registry Society, people and institutions

Research draft, second pass

A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.

written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify

Researched by: Claude

Purpose and description

Let an agent describe prophets and prophethood across traditions accurately and respectfully with attribution, follow representation and naming norms, and separate loose and secular uses of the word.

A person regarded within a religious tradition as a messenger or spokesperson of the divine, delivering revelation, warning or guidance, such as the prophets of the Hebrew Bible, the prophet of Islam, and figures recognised in other traditions and new religious movements; the term is also used for foretellers and, loosely, for anyone predicting events, and conceptions of prophethood are matters of belief described with attribution.

What it is for: Understanding religious messengers and revelation.

It can be describe prophets by tradition with attribution; explain prophethood concepts; follow naming and representation norms; separate loose senses.

Distinguishing features

Religious messenger

Tradition-specific recognition

Revelation and guidance

Representation norms

What it looks like

Not physical; figures in scriptures, tradition and art.

How it is recognised

Recognised messengers of the divine

Tradition-specific lists and roles

A forecaster or futurist is not a religious prophet

Related models

is a kind of - category

believer

is related to - divine source

God

is related to - other revered figures

saint

is related to - foretelling as a separate practice

divination

In practice

Families and kinds

prophets of the Hebrew Bible

prophets in Christianity

prophets in Islam

prophetic figures in other traditions and new religious movements

seers and foretellers (related senses)

Standards and regulation

Freedom of religion under human rights law

Blasphemy and religious offence laws in some countries

Failure modes and hazards

Disrespectful depiction or naming

Asserting or denying religious claims

Conflating traditions

Also called

prophet of doomZechariahseeressprophet of IslamManifestation of Godsleeping preacherfalse prophetPythiasibylUlu'l-azmfalse messiahCimbrian seeressesQu'ranic prophetrasulShemaiah

Where this came from

wikidata · CC0 1.0

Also registered as vr.tr.prophet-person

Drafted structure

Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.

Traditions Prophets by tradition.

Attribution.

Describe

A tradition view.

Describe

Tradition view.

  1. Who are recognised as prophets in this tradition, and what is their role, according to its scriptures and scholars? provenance
  2. How do traditions differ on the same figure? boundary

Concept

Prophethood.

Concept

Prophethood.

  1. How does this tradition understand prophethood and revelation? provenance
  2. How do concepts such as messenger, seer and manifestation differ? definition
Respect Norms.

Representation and naming.

Naming

Names and honorifics.

Naming

Naming.

  1. Which names, honorifics and forms are customary for this prophet in the tradition? provenance
  2. Which representation norms, such as restrictions on images, apply? provenance

Neutral

Neutral description.

Neutral

Neutrality.

  1. Does the response describe beliefs about the prophet with attribution and respect? boundary
  2. Does the request seek to demean a religious figure or community? boundary
History Historical study.

Scholarship and belief.

Scholarship

Historical scholarship.

Scholarship

Scholarship.

  1. What do historians say about the historical context of this prophet, and how does that relate to religious accounts, with both attributed? provenance
  2. Are contested questions presented neutrally? boundary

Texts

Prophetic texts.

Texts

Texts.

  1. Which texts record the prophet message, and which translations are reliable? provenance
  2. How are they used in worship? provenance
Senses Other uses.

Disambiguation.

Loose

Loose and secular uses.

Loose

Loose uses.

  1. Is prophet used loosely for a forecaster, a visionary or a doom-monger? boundary
  2. Which entry fits? action

Movements

New movements.

Movements

New movements.

  1. How do new religious movements describe their prophetic figures, and how are they described by others, with attribution? provenance
  2. Is the description balanced? boundary

What the second pass must settle

  • Should each prophet be a separate entry?
  • How should scriptural sources be linked?
  • How should representation norms be recorded?