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Transfiguration

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A divine transformation of appearance, most notably the event where Jesus' face shone and his clothes became dazzling white before his disciples.

Detailed Definition
The Transfiguration of Christ revealed his divine glory to Peter, James, and John, confirming his sonship and foreshadowing his resurrection. In a broader mystical sense, transfiguration signifies a radical change of form to reveal a higher, spiritual reality. In poetry, transfiguration represents moments of supreme epiphany where the ordinary is illuminated from within by the sacred. It is the poetic theme of metamorphosis, where the physical world becomes transparent to the divine light, offering a glimpse of ultimate truth and the glorified state of the redeemed soul.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Christian poetry, Transfiguration reveals glory: “Face like sun—Transfiguration on mountain, Moses and Elijah near”; In mystical verse, Transfiguration is inner awakening: “Ordinary street—Transfiguration when love sees truly”; In contemporary poetry, Transfiguration is healing: “After therapy—Transfiguration, pain turned to wisdom”; Poets link Transfiguration to art: “Canvas glows—Transfiguration where pigment becomes prayer.”
Additional Notes
The Transfiguration (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9) reveals Jesus’ divine glory before Peter, James, and John, with his face shining like the sun and clothes becoming radiant; Moses and Elijah appear, linking Law and Prophets to Christ; in poetry, transfiguration signifies moments of sudden spiritual clarity, the intersection of time and eternity, or the luminous potential hidden within ordinary reality.
Other Meanings of “Transfiguration”
Also Known As
Mount of Transfiguration Metamorphosis (theological)
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