APOLOGIA
By Hendrik van der Breggen
The
Carillon,
May 17, 2018
The Case
for Miracles
What is a miracle? Have miracles
happened? Do they occur today? Should we believe miracle reports?
If you have seriously wondered about
these sorts of questions, then I recommend Lee Strobel's new book: The Case for Miracles: A Journalist Investigates Evidence
for the Supernatural (Zondervan 2018).
Strobel, a former atheist but now
Christian, begins the book by interviewing Michael Shermer, a former Christian
but now skeptic. Shermer has degrees in psychology and biology, plus a doctorate
in the history of science, and is publisher of Skeptic magazine. Shermer argues against miracles.
At first, Shermer's arguments seem strong.
But then Strobel takes an investigative journey (like he does in his other
“Case for…” books) to talk with experts who disagree.
Here are some highlights.
Concerning Shermer's appeal to a famous
argument against belief in miracles by Scottish skeptical philosopher David
Hume (1711-1776), Strobel interviews New Testament scholar Craig Keener, author
of the massive two-volume Miracles (Baker Academic 2011).
It turns out Hume's argument is
question-begging: it assumes as established what is at issue—it sneaks the
conclusion into the premises. Hume assumes
miracles are maximally improbable, so all miracle reports are always unbelievable.
But, unnoticed by Hume, whether miracles are improbable and whether miracle
reports are credible are issues only open-minded investigation can resolve.
In other words, Hume's argument fails—miserably.
(I can attest to the correctness of this verdict, since I studied Hume's
argument for my master's and doctoral degrees in philosophy.)
Significantly, Hume's (and Shermer's)
claim that there aren't well-attested-to miracles is simply false. In Strobel's
interview with Keener, Keener sets out a wonderful summary of his aforementioned
two-volume study. There is in fact much good evidence—sometimes excellent
evidence—that miracles have occurred in the past and even today.
Concerning Shermer's appeal to a
so-called “gold standard” prayer study that allegedly debunks the effectiveness
of prayer, Strobel interviews Candy Gunther Brown, who has three degrees from
Harvard and is professor of religious studies at Indiana University.
It turns out that the study touted by
Shermer is faulty. The people praying included a group that “doesn't believe in
miracles, doesn't believe in a personal God outside of us who intervenes in
people's lives, and doesn't believe it's even appropriate to ask for
supernatural help.”
According to Gunther Brown, two other
studies that include prayers from actual believers contradict Shermer's
favoured but flawed study. In these studies healings seem very much to take
place in answer to prayer, especially if the prayers follow the pattern set out
by the New Testament. Gunther Brown's conclusion: “Something is going on, and it surely warrants further
investigation.”
In a chapter on dreams and visions,
Strobel interviews Tom Doyle, a missionary to Muslims. Many Muslims today are
having “high-definition Jesus dreams” that draw them to accepting Jesus as
Lord.
When asked whether it's more reasonable
to believe that these dreams are mere coincidence and not supernatural, Doyle
responds, “That would take a lot more faith to believe.”
Strobel also looks at the universe as a
miracle writ large. In an interview with University of Oklahoma physicist
Michael Straus, Straus makes the case that the big bang beginning of the
universe coupled with its fine tuning points to God. Straus addresses the
objection that multiverse theory explains the fine tuning (it doesn't because
it lacks evidence) and the objection “Who made God?” (nobody did).
On the resurrection of Jesus, Strobel
interviews J. Warner Wallace, a former atheist and cold-case detective. Wallace
argues that the evidence for Jesus' miraculous resurrection is strong. Even
compelling (if one doesn't question-beg à la Hume).
Another chapter is titled “When Miracles
Don't Happen.” Strobel interviews Denver Seminary philosopher Douglas Groothuis,
whose wife has dementia. This is a tough chapter to read, because both
Groothuis and his wife are suffering terribly, and God seems silent.
Nevertheless, Groothuis holds that the
positive evidence for Jesus' miraculous resurrection is strong—and gives hope
to him and Becky.
In sum, Strobel's book well handles
positive evidence for miracles and tough objections. I commend it to believers
and skeptics alike.
Hendrik
van der Breggen, PhD, is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Providence
University College. The views expressed in this column do not always reflect
the views of Providence.
.png)