The Transcendental Argument for Divine Revelation (TADR)

This paper develops the Transcendental Argument for Divine Revelation (TADR), which asks what conditions must obtain for finite human beings to possess genuine knowledge of an infinite and transcendent God. The argument begins not with historical claims or natural theology, but with the ontological and epistemic asymmetry between finite minds and a divine reality that transcends conceptual grasp. TADR shows that no mode of unaided human cognition—empirical, inferential, or analogical—is sufficient to secure reference to the divine or guarantee truth-bearing theological cognition. Therefore, if knowledge of God is possible, it must originate from divine self-disclosure. The paper formally presents this argument (H1–H6), responds to major objections, and develops a set of criteria—ontological adequacy, explanatory power, coherence, historicity, and transformative participation—to evaluate alleged revelations. Finally, the paper applies these criteria to naturalistic, deistic, Islamic, and other frameworks, arguing that only a personal and participatory mode of divine revelation can satisfy the transcendental preconditions for genuine knowledge of God.