Miracles

Question 1

What is the realist view of miracles?

Answer 1

• Realist understandings of miracles see them as real events in the world, brought about by a transcendent being.
  o E.g., Nebraska church choir incident, problems of why God would save these people but not others in similar situations.

Question 2

What are the different realist views about miracles?

Answer 2

• Miracles as events brought about by the power of God or another spiritual power, working through people
  o e.g., Moses in bible.
• Miracles as violations of natural law.
  o Hume’s understanding and he defined a miracle as a transgression of a law of nature by a particular volition of a Deity.

Question 3

What are the problems of defining miracles as violating natural laws?

Answer 3

• Science does not accept such a possibility.
• Hick, if there appears to be an exception to a law of nature, then the law simply expands to include the exception.
• Problem of evil.

Question 4

What is the anti-realist view of miracles?

Answer 4

• Anti-realist understandings of miracles generally reject realist descriptions of miracles, God is not a transcendent being.
• Miracles are mental states or attitudes which are ‘revelatory’ only in terms of human psychology or sociology.
• A miracle is something that lifts the spirits of community.

Question 5

What are the different anti-realist views about miracles?

Answer 5

• Paul Tillich,
  o God is not ‘a being’ but is ‘being itself’.
  o Miracles are not interventions in the world by a transcendent God.
  o They are unusual events that don’t break the laws of nature.
  o Symbols within a religious experience.
• Hick,
  o Miracles are ordinary natural events seen through the eye of faith.
  o Events that we become aware of God acting towards us.
• Holland,
  o Child on railway line.
  o Beneficial consequence is interpreted as religious.

Question 6

What does Hume say about miracles?

Answer 6

• Hume’s critiques of miracles is based on his empirical assumptions, all knowledge comes from sense experience, ‘a wise man proportions his belief to the evidence’.
• Hume defines a miracle as a violation of a law of nature by God.
• His main argument is inductive, the logic of its steps shows that it is always more likely that the witnesses are mistaken or that they are lying than that a miracle has occurred, furthered by the fact that miracle stories come from ignorant and barbarous nations, and the conflicting miracles of the world religions.

Question 7

What are the weaknesses of Hume’s argument?

Answer 7

• No inductive argument can ever be certain, so however improbable miracles might be we cannot say that they do not happen.
• Christians would argue that the improbability of a miracle is necessary for its nature.

Question 8

What does Wiles say about miracles?

Answer 8

• God does not act in the world through miracles, language about miracles is symbolic, not literal.
• The assumption that God controls miracles is from the belief that God controls a chain of causes.
• This misunderstanding is brought about by Hume’s definition of miracles as violations of natural law.
• Problem of evil, so Hume was wrong, God does not intervene.
• Language in Bible is not to be taken literally.
• The only miracle is that of creation itself.

Question 9

How do Hume’s and Wiles’ critiques compare?

Answer 9

• Hume is an atheist, wiles is a Christian, so Hume assumes that there is no God to violate anything, but Wiles assumes that there is a God who preserves free will by not intervening.
• Hume assumes that Christianity is irrational, Hume’s interventionist account is irrelevant to Wiles.
• Hume is realist, Wiles is anti-realist, which gives Wiles example of not having to explain natural laws.
• Overall Wiles, more holistic.

Question 10

How is the realist view of miracles significant for religion?

Answer 10

• Biblical significance, the value of miracles for faith.
  o Jesus’ miracles
• God intervenes as a demonstration of power and love
• Problem of evil

Question 11

How is the anti-realist view of miracles significant for religion?

Answer 11

• Tillich, miracles are ‘sign events’ which hold psychological significance.
• Holland, miracles hold personal significance.
• Wiles, miracles inspire.
• The reality of miracles is individual.