At the end of the day a holy priest is still a priest and all priests learn a few things from each spell school before they specialise. You don’t start out a holy priest, you start out a priest.
I get that, but surely there’s something to be said about SW:P being part of a holy priest’s main DPS rotation. I understand your perspective but outside of niche situations fire mages don’t actively use arcane explosion.
I pop a quick frost nova every now and then on my arcane mage who knows a bit about every school of magic but I’m not actively throwing out frost bolts.
I’m perfectly fine with these spells having a place in my spellbook since my holy priest would probably know bits and pieces about the Void… But to actively have to incorporate it into my gameplay… It just doesn’t fit in my opinion.
You also mention that Discipline has themes of inquisition and I used to think so too but if you read the Legion previews, which admittedly are a bit dated but nevertheless remain concise summaries of the fantasies of the different classes and specs, Holy reads far more as fitting the Inquisition fantasy (to me) and it’s why I think the Holy Fire talent fits really well.
You can see for yourself below:
After spending much of their lives in temples studying ancient doctrine, preaching the tenets of their faith, and pledging their full devotion to the divine powers they follow, the most adept priests leave their houses of worship to serve on the battlefield, as shepherd to flock. There, they use their holy powers to bless allies and mend wounds. And while most stay behind the frontlines to aid their comrades, these holy champions are also capable of smiting foes and carrying out sacred justice. They’re also morally opposed to the use of Shadow and Void magic—rather, they are exemplars of the incredible grace and power of the divine and the Light, and even death cannot fully stop their healing capabilities.
If I’m morally opposed to the use of the shadow of the Void, then why am I spamming Shadowfiend and SW:P on cooldown?
Discipline on the other hand really does feel far more like WoW’s equivalent of grey jedi
Some priests pride themselves on pragmatism. They understand that light casts a shadow, that darkness is defined by light, and that true discipline stems from one’s ability to balance these opposing powers in services of a greater cause. While these priests possess many holy virtues to aid their allies, they also dabble in the dark arts to debilitate their enemies—always exercising immense discipline to keep themselves away from the brink of insanity. Many would say the ends justify the means; scriptures both virtuous and vile should be studied and understood to protect the congregation.