HOW THE EXISTENCE OF GOD EXPLAINS MIRACLES AND RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
Richard Swinburne
Oxford University Press eBooks February 1, 1996 DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198235446.003.0008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that God has reason to set aside natural laws to bring about miracles and to provide experiences of his presence, and that historical evidence of such miracles and religious experiences constitutes the final strand of a cumulative argument for God's existence. |
Abstract
God has reason occasionally to set aside the operation of the laws of nature and to bring about a miracle — in answer to prayer, or to reveal some truth; and there can be enough historical evidence to show that he has done so (perhaps in the Resurrection of Jesus). He also has reason to provide apparent experiences of his presence to many humans. The occurrence of such historical evidence of miracles and religious experiences is the final kind of evidence put forward in the cumulative argument of this book for the existence of God.