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Definition:
The term oracle can have several meanings, all related to predictions of future
events. In common usage, "oracle" often refers also to a person to whom such answers
are revealed.
In one sense, it can refer to any actual answer provided by a divinity in response to a question about what will happen in the future or what the best future course of action is. Replies might be ambiguous things, like the movement of the wind, or even more ambiguous answers which can have multiple meanings - and in traditional myths, the person getting the answer usually picks the wrong meaning.
In another sense, an oracle can refer to the shrine of a god or gods who give out the answers referred to above. The most famous such shrine is still the Oracle at Delphi, a shrine to the Greek god Apollo.
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Related Resources:
What is the Philosophy of Religion?
Sometimes confused with theology, the Philosophy of Religion is the philosophical study of religious beliefs, religious doctrines, religious arguments and religious history. The line between theology and the philosophy of religion isn't always sharp, but the primary difference is that theology tends to be apologetical in nature, committed to the defense of particular religious positions, whereas Philosophy of Religion is committed to the investigation of religion itself, rather than the truth of any particular religion.
