“A Miracle [is] a
transgression of a law of
nature by a particular
volition of the Deity or by the
imposition of some invisible
agent.”
Raising from the Dead – The Raising of
Lazarus
Healing Miracle – Healing of the
Paralysed Man
Nature Miracle – Walking on the Water
Why might a religious believer
object to this definition?
•Deism
•Davies – As present in what is not
miraculous as He is in the
miraculous.
•Questioning order
•God as inconsistent – causes
events and then stops
•Peter Vardy – Why help some and
not others?
•Maurice Wiles – moral
questioning.
How does science challenge
miracles as ‘violations of nature
law’?
•The laws of nature are
descriptive not prescriptive (John
Hick, Swinburne)
•Events can be unique
•Ockham’s Razor
•Alternative explanations
How does religion defend miracles
as violations of natural law?
•Miracles are unique events
•Unusual things do happen
•Maybe one religion is right
•Perhaps God appeals to different
cultures in different ways
•If we could test miracles, what
room would there be for faith?
•Even if God hasn’t yet performed
a miracle, He could do so in the
future.
Richard Swinburne
•Miracles based on the same 3
types of evidence as the natural
laws (our memories, the
testimony of others and the
physical traces left by the event)
•Ockham’s Razor
•Quasi-Violation
•Principle of Testimony
•Principle of Credulity
1. Signs
But these have been
written in order that
you may believe that
Jesus is the Messiah,
the Son of God, and
that through your
faith in Him you may
have life.” (John 20:
30-31)
Stigmata
2. Amazing
Coincidences
“A coincidence can
be taken religiously
as a sign and called
a miracle.”
(Holland)
The boy and the
train
Coincidence / lucky
chance?
3. Natural Events
Ordinary events
interpreted
religiously
Couple conceiving a
child
Coincidence?
Wiles – rejects miracles
on moral grounds
Why does God help
some and not others?
Is He not powerful
enough?
Why does God help
some and not
others? Is He not
all-loving?
Stigmata – physical
pain and mental
anguish
Why do ‘pointless
miracles’ take place?
Naples – St Gennaro
Problems with miracles as events of
religious significance
•Open to interpretation
•A miracle could lead to future unhappiness
(Thompson)
•It cannot without confusion be taken as a
sign of divine interference with the natural
order.” (Holland)
•Hume – this is not the correct definition of
‘miracle’.
•Hume – vested interest; cannot trusty
human testimony. (“Ignorant and barbarous
nations”)
•Never been a miracle witnessed by an
amount of trustworthy men to make it
believable.
Why do believers support the
occurrence of miracles?
•If God is omnipotent, He is
capable of breaking natural laws.
•If God is all-loving, He will want to
interact with us and help us.
•Swinburne – expect miracles
•Miracles as revelation
•If God is the sustainer, He can
interact in the world however He
wishes (MacKay)
•Swinburne – Principles of
Testimony and Credulity
The idea of miracles can be used to
form an inductive argument for the
existence of God as follows:
•There is evidence that miracles have
happened.
•Miracles can not happen without
the action of God
•Therefore, it is likely that God exists.