Miracles Flashcards
What are the two named scholars on the specification ?
Hume and Wiles
“An ‘answered prayer’ might well be explained by telepathy in a more open but still naturalistic world view.” Paul Badham
Natural law for miracles - descriptive or probabilistic.
“For a miracle…is an event through which we become vividly and immediately conscious of God acting towards us.” Hick
An anti-realist views of miracles
- a miracle is only a miracle if it makes us aware of God’s presence
“In order to be miraculous, an event must be experienced as religiously significant.” Hick
Expansion of an anti-realist view.
- it’s only a miracle if it’ religiously significant
“An event which is astonishing, unusual, shaking, without contradicting the rational structure of reality.” Tillich
How Tillich, who is an anti-realist, defines miracles.
- doesn’t go against natural law but is an amazing experience
- a sign event
“That something astonishes me, that it discloses to me the ultimate mystery of my being, and that it’s received by me in a commitment of faith.” Ward
Anti realist view yet again
- a miracle astonishes you
- discloses the mystery of being
- received through faith
“A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence.” Hume
An empiricist view (important to note he is also a realist) that miracles don’t happen as there’s not enough empirical evidence for them.
“A transgression of a law of nature by a particular volition of the Deity, or by the interposition of some invisible agent.” Hume
Hume’s definition of a miracle.
- volition = one’s will
- interposition = interference
“It is especially important to emphasise the symbolic character of these symbols, because they are often understood literally.” Wiles
Wiles’, who is an anti-realist, criticism of miracles.
- has to be a sign because if we take them literally then we question if God is selective and opens a ca of worms.
