Miracles

Question 1

Give Paul Tillich’s quoted definition on miracles?

Answer 1

” an event which is astonishing, unusual, shaking, without contradicting the rational structure of reality”

Question 2

Give Hume’s quoted definition of miracles? And give another quote that can be used to show some of Hume’s beliefs?

Answer 2

” a transgression of a law of nature by a particular volition of the Deity”
“a wise man proportions his beliefs to the evidence”
This quote here can show how Hume puts great emphasis on empiricism and the importance of synthetic evidence.

Question 3

What are some of the evaluations we can say to Hume’s view in miracles

Answer 3

• Hume’s argument is inductive so deals with probabilities and not proofs and since it is saying something that could happen and since science cannot state something can never happen as it acts descriptively and not prescriptively is is hard to prove wrong.
• Hume’s statement that there are no reliable observation contradict the theological believers view as they believe there are therefore as Hume can’t 100% prove they’re wrong and they can’t 100% prove they’re right it isn’t clear who is right.
• Hume states there is no sensible sufficient person who can attest miracles but there is Tacitus and Hume stated he is the “most penetrating genius” he surely fits the requirements ,Therefore his argument from psychology is not sufficient and comprehensive as he thinks.

Question 4

What are some key differences between wiles and hume?

Answer 4

• Hume is an atheist and wiles is a christian wiles believes god chooses not to intervene and hume believes there is no god to intervene.
• Wiles states a miracle is of interpretation hume states unless it violates the laws of nature there is no point of calling it a miracle in the first place
• Hume is a realist while wiles is an anti-realist

Question 5

When god is intervening and we state god’s Providence what does that mean?

Answer 5

God’s Providence = doctrine that god is believed is believed to care for his creation.

Question 6

What is a good quote to use when talking about anti-realist interpretations of miracles?

Answer 6

Ward states miracles “epiphanies of the spirit”

When ward states this he is meaning that God intends miracles to be clues fir his intentions for humanity

Question 7

What are the conclusions from Hume’s inductive argument against?

Answer 7

“therefore we may establish it as a maxim, that no human testimony can have such force to prove a miracle”

Question 8

What is Hick’s quoted definition of a miracle ? (Hick is an anti-realist)

Answer 8

“a miracle is an event through which we become vividly and immediately conscious of God acting towards us”

Question 9

What is the definition of the key term ‘Interventionist’?

Answer 9

Interventionist = An act which intervenes in the regular or expected pattern of things

This is linked to miracles as a miracle is an example of an Interventionist

Question 10

When looking at Wiles’ critique of miracles what does he state that is the only miracle?

Answer 10

• The only one miracle is that of creation itself

From this we can see how Wiles position on miracles is closer to deism than theism that god creates the universe and leaves it to work through its natural causes

Question 11

What is the significance of the realist view on miracles for religion?

Answer 11

• Biblical significance - Gospel writers saw them as signs of the arrival of God’s Kingdom also the central miracle in the new testament is the resurrection of Jesus
• God intervenes providentially as a demonstration of power and love, god intervenes through both special and general revelation
• If they are actions of a all-loving god they raise problems for the POE, why would god select some to be recipients of miracles and not others, this was the reason that wiles rejected the realist approach and went to the anti-realist approach of miracles

Question 12

What is the significance of anti-realist view of miracles for religion?

Answer 12

• Miracles cannot contradict the rational structure of reality, so miracles are not interventions in the world by a transcendent god
• we can also use Hollands story of the child on the railway where the ‘miracle’ is not supernatural but it has deep personal significance
• Looking at theses interpretations of miracles, their significance for religion is personal; they do not relate to real events brought about by a real God but instead, rather the ‘reality’ is in the mind of the person who experiences an event which has extraordinary personal significance

Question 13

What is a quote we can use to support Wiles’ idea that God does not act in the world through miracles?

Answer 13

This is in reference to wiles story on how Jesus refused Satan’s trap of performing a miracle to show his divine power

There is no ‘deus ex machina’ ( a god from a machine) to be summoned to put things right

God does not intervene through miracles

Question 14

Where does Hume state most accounts of miracles come from?

Answer 14

• “ignorant and barbarous nations”

He also states miracles come from the psychology of self-delusion

Question 15

Through Wiles critique of miracles is he closer to deism or theism and why ?

Answer 15

• Deism

This is because wiles sees God intervening in the world as unfair and inconsistent with his nature, so wiles sees God creating the universe and hen stands back to let nature run it’s course

Question 16

What are the 3 features of miracles that Tillich states?

Answer 16

1 - even needs to be astonishing without breaking the laws of nature

2 - it must point to the mystery of a being, relating specifically to the experiencer’s existence

3 - it has to be a sign or symbol within a religious experience

Question 17

Who is a philosopher who supports Wiles argument that a God intervening selective to save some but not others will have implications on the POE>

Answer 17

• Heblethwaite

“have disastrous implications of the understanding of the problem of evil”

Question 17

Who is a philosopher who supports Wiles argument that a God intervening selective to save some but not others will have implications on the POE>

Answer 17

• Heblethwaite

“have disastrous implications of the understanding of the problem of evil”

Question 18

What is a key quote to use from wiles to support the idea that religious believers would not accept God intervening selectively?

Answer 18

“religiously unsatisfactory in view of their apparently occasional and highly selective character”

Question 19

What do the key terms arbitrary and partisan mean ?

Answer 19

• Arbitrary = based on a random decision, with no reason behind it
• Partisan = strong supporter of something which may lead to a biased opinion

Question 20

What do the key terms arbitrary and partisan mean ?

Answer 20

• Arbitrary = based on a random decision, with no reason behind it
• Partisan = strong supporter of something which may lead to a biased opinion

Question 21

As Hume’s argument is inductive what do we need to make sure about his conclusions?

Answer 21

• Hume concludes that there never be enough evidence to prove a miracle, not that a miracle can never occur
• We cannot state miracles do not happen however improbable they may be

Question 22

When in comparison to Hume Wiles does not really answer what Hume is saying but sidesteps it and focuses on what?

Answer 22

• Defining the spheres of God’s activity from something very specific to something more general

Question 23

When talking about the Biblical significance and the value of miracles for faith for the realist approach what are some Latin words that have been used in the Bible to describe miracles?

Answer 23

• Dunameis (Powerful deeds)
• Terata (wonders)
• Semeia (signs)