Miracles Lesson 4

Question 1

What does Paul Tillich say about miracles?

Answer 1

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

2) “points to the mystery of being, expressing its relation to us in a definite
way”

3) “an occurrence which is received as a sign-event in an ecstatic experience”

This defines miracles as part of our subjective experience, not as something
occurring in objective reality. Tillich is anti-realist because he regards objective reality or ‘being’ as a ‘mystery’ that we do not understand.

Tillich’s view of God is as ‘being itself’. This also fits with an anti-realist view. If God is being itself, and God is beyond our understanding, then being is beyond our understanding; a ‘mystery’. So we cannot understand whether miracles happen objectively.

Question 2

What does Holland say about miracles?

Answer 2

-‘Coincidence miracles’ interpreted in a religious fashion therefore have religious significance

-A miracle is “A remarkable & beneficial
coincidence that is interpreted in a religious
fashion” [Holland]

-Story of the boy on the train tracks: It is a miracle because the mother interpreted it in a religious fashion

God blind v God sighted people

Miracles are subjective experiences!

Question 3

What did C.S Lewis say about anti realism?

Answer 3

-All miracles cannot be anti real; as already discussed the survival of Christianity depends on certain miracles having definitely happened, such as Jesus’ resurrection

Question 4

What is CS Lewis trilemma?

Answer 4

-Jesus was Liar, Lunatic or Lord

-In the Bible, Jesus Christ says many things such as “I am the son of God” or ” I can heal this man” which suggest he is undeniably the son of God and capable of miracles. Either this is objectively true (realism) or it is false.

-If it’s false, either Jesus was a lunatic, so not worthy of being followed.

-Or he was a liar – not the son of God but a manipulator who therefore was not the messiah.

-The other, realist option is that he truly was the son of God.