anti-realist

• anti-realist = the stance that miracles are an interpretation of the mind; they may be seen as symbols, as something that lifts the spirit or transforms a community
• anti-realists reject the concept of miracles as an activity by a supernatural being, whether that be within nature or a violation of its laws
• miracles as sign-events (Tillich)

  • a miracle is a subjective experience, centring on the individual experiencing/reacting to it - others might observe the same thing but not see it as a miracle
  • it is something amazing that does not breach natural laws
  • it points to the mystery of being that is at the heart of the individual's experience
  • it is a symbol within a religious experience
• miracles are 'experiencing-as' (Hick)

  • miracles are natural events that have religious significance e.g. 10 plagues + the Exodus
  • if an event seems to breach a law of nature, that is not because of supernatural intervention: natural laws are simply our retrospective generalisations that encompass human observation + experience; the law just needs expanding so it takes into account the 'exception'
  • if an event seems inexplicable, that is because our scientific knowledge is limited: there will be a natural explanation
• miracles as remarkable coincidences (Holland)

  • example of: child runs his toy car onto railway track + gets stuck, as the train is coming down the line. the driver faints due to a blood clot, activating the breaks + causing an emergency stop
  • this is seen by the mother as a miracle - it could be life threatening for the driver however
• miracles as remarkable coincidences (Holland)

  • miracles have 3 aspects:

  1. they are natural occurrences
  2. they are beneficial in nature
  3. they have religious significance
• issues with miracles as remarkable coincidences (Holland)

  • it is very subjective - whether or not an event is a miracle is dependent on how an individual interprets it
  • it reduced God to the interpretation + understanding of human minds
• significance of anti-realist views

  • the importance of miracles is subjective
  • the significance for Tillich was psychological + personal
  • for Holland, miracles were natural happenings that were beneficial in nature + had religious significance for those involved - reinforce the faith of Christians in God's goodness + love
  • for Wiles, Jesus' miracles were not about him breaching natural laws but were stories pointing to God's purposes for the world that were intended to encourage Christians to play their part in overcoming evil + suffering