The Significance of Realist & Anti-realist views

• Realist approaches on belief: the Bible


  Miracles have value for faith: the gospels record many miracles performed by Jesus, including those of healing and resurrections. Miracles are powerful wonders and signs of God's kingdom. The miracles that Jesus did during his ministry all point to the theme of God's resurrection of Jesus
• Realist approaches on belief: God intervenes as a demonstration of power


  All powerful and all loving, God is able to intervene in the world through general and special revelation and that includes miracles.
• How does Hume disagree with this?


  He says that these impossible or improbable events suggest it's unlikely to happen
• Why do Christians disagree with Hume?


  The improbability makes it a miracle. The Bible is testament to miracles being real events. Moreover, they still occur today.
• What issue arises from God's intervention in the world through miracles?


  The problem of evil and the inconsistent triad
• What does Keith Ward say?


  Miracles have universal significance, because they disclose to humanity something of God's plans for the universe, including the promise of life after death, the resurrection being a sign of this
• Anti-realist approaches on belief: Tillich


  Miracles are sign events: not interventions by a transcendent God. The significance of miracles is primarily personal or psychological
• What is the problem with Tillich's 'sign events'?


  He explains that God does not cause miracles but he does not explain what causes them. Is it a coincidence?
• Anti-realist approaches on belief: Holland


  Miracles are events that occurred and end up having some deeper personal meaning but only for the person it occurred to
• Anti-realist approaches on belief: Wiles


  Miracles are events that reveal something of God's intentions for the world: so the miracles in the New Testament are about inspiring people to overcome their difficulties and suffering in the world
• What was Bultmann's idea?


  Demythologisation - reinterpret the Bible and argue that scientific understanding was required in order to fully appreciate the significance of miracles