Miracles

• what are the three realist views of miracles?


  miracle as an extraordinary coincidence of a beneficial nature, miracle as an event brought about by a spiritual power, working through people and miracle as a violation of natural law.
• realist views

  for Christianity, this means that miracles are a real part of what happens in the world:

  • they come about through the activity of god or of someone empowered by him.
  • they are signs of the kingdom of god
  • they are objectively true even though they are not fully understood.
• canonisation

  the declaration by the catholic church that someone is a saint
• miracles as an extraordinary coincidence off a beneficial nature

  e.g. the explosion of the chapel in nebraska

  • all 15 people were uncharacteristically late for choir practice
  • they certainly would have died if they were on time as they were in the past
  • this was seen as god at work.
• issue with the explosion of the chapel in Nebraska

  • every year thousands of explosions take place throughout the world, sometimes with many people killed or permanently suffering major physical or mental injury. why does god not save them?
• miracles as an event brought about by a spiritual power, working through people

  • example in the bible: when god worked through Moses to deliver the Israelites from slavery
  • many christians regard the miracles of Jesus as recorded in the gospels as historical events
  • 2016: Catholic Church declared mother Theresa of Calcutta to be a saint-> the Vatican committee responsible had agreed that as a result of prayers made through her, mother Theresa had performed at least two miracles.
• what is the criteria for canonisation?

  the performance of at least two miracles is an essential precondition of canonisation.
• miracle as a violation of natural law

  what most people think of as a miracle

  • something that happens when gods intervention interferes with the normal workings of the laws of nature.
  • it is an intentional act of gods will
  • it has religious significance.
• four issues with the approach of miracle as a violation of natural law

  • encourages a 'god of the gaps' approach
  • science doesn't accept this concept of violation as it sees the laws of nature as descriptive and probabilistic. this is addressed by hick.
  • if the concept if violation is accepted then its likely the evidence to support the miracle will outweigh the mass of evidence supporting the natural law that is said to be breached.
  • if such intervention is an act of gods will, why is there so much suffering- addressed by Maurice wiles
• what are examples of anti-realist views of miracles?

  miracles as sign-events (Tillich), miracles are 'experiencing-as' (hick) and miracles as remarkable coincidences (holland)
• anti-realist views

  • interpret everything supposedly supernatural as mental attitudes
  • they reject the concept of miracles as an activity by a supernatural being, whether that be wishing nature or a violation of its laws.
  • a miracle is something that transforms people or creates positive feelings.
• realist

  the stance that miracles are seen as real events brought about by god.
• 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.
• miracles as sign events (Tillich)

  a miracle is a subjective experience, centring on the individual experiencing it and his/her reaction to it. others might observe the same thing but not see it as a miracle.

  • something that is amazing, though it doesn't breach natural laws
  • points to the mystery of being that is at the heart of the individuals experience
  • it is a symbol within a religious experience
• miracles are 'experiencing-as' (hick)

  natural events that have religious experience, e.g. the ten plagues and the exodus

  • if an event seems to breach a law of nature, it isn't because of supernatural intervention. natural laws are simply our retrospective generalisations that encompass human observation and experience. its simply that our understanding of that law hasn't been sufficiently wide, so the law just needs expanding so it takes account of the 'exceptions'
  • if an event seems inexplicable, that's because our scientific knowledge is limited there will be a natural explanation.
• miracles as remarkable coincidence (holland)

  • e.g. the child who runs his toy car onto the railway track, where it gets stuck, at the same time as a train is coming
  • the fact that the driver faints, thus activating the 'dead mans handle' and causing an emergency stop, is seen by the mother as a miracle even though she knows there is a natural cause. she sees it as god responding to human need
  • for holland, miracles have three aspects: natural occurrences, beneficial in nature and have religious significance.
• issues with holland's view, as with all anti-realist understandings of a miracle

  • it is very subjective. whether or not an event is a miracle is dependent on how an individual interprets it. a negative interpretation, such as an atheist would give, is as likely to be the right one as a positive interpretation. there is no question of saying that one view is right and the other wrong.
  • reduces god to the interpretation and understanding of human minds.
• quote from holland:

  'a remarkable and beneficial coincidence that is interpreted in a religious fashion'
• one way realist views are significant for religion is that the miracles of Jesus as recorded in the gospels support and strengthen the faith of christians. they are referred to as powerful acts and wonders, and this reinforces belief in the omnipotence of god. they are presented as signs of the kingdom of god, so reassure Christians that god is sovereign over the universe. they point to the central event of the New Testament, the resurrection of Jesus, which was itself a miracle. this is a source of hope.
• according to realists, miracles such as Jesus healing the paralysed man are objectively true.
• another way realist views are significant for religion is that many christians see miracles as a demonstration of god's power and love. aquinas viewed them in this light, referring to them as being effected by god 'beyond the order commonly observed in nature'. this is the view of the Catholic Church.
• for anti-realists, the importance of miracles is subjective, they are not objectively true.
• one way anti-realist views are significant for religion is that such views address the problems raised for theologians by their apparent contradiction with what is known of science and also by their apparent selectivity. this preserves their intellectual and moral integrity.
• significance of anti-realist views for tillich

  psychological and personal. they were sign-events, bound up with the experience of the mystery of being that is at the heart of religious experience.
• significance of anti-realist views for holland

  miracles were natural happenings that were beneficial in nature and had religious significance for the person(s) involved. they reinforce the faith of christians in god's goodness and love.
• significance of anti-realist views 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 and suffering.
• what philosopher is associated with miracles as remarkable coincidences?

  holland
• what philosopher is associated with miracles as 'experiencining-as'?

  hick
• what philosopher is associated with miracles as sign-events?

  tillich