Miracles

St Thomas Aquinas

A philosopher who argued that a miracle must go beyond the usual order observed in the laws of nature.

Miracle

Something that has a divine cause and breaks the laws of nature.

Primary cause

When God acts directly in the world to bring about a miracle.

Secondary cause

When God acts through human agents to bring about a miracle.

Three types of miracles according to Aquinas

Events done by God which nature could never do, events in which God does something which nature can do but not in this order, and events usually done by the working of nature but without the normal principles of nature.

David Hulme

A philosopher who defines miracles as a transgression of a law of nature by the volition of the deity or the interposition of some invisible agent.

R.F

A philosopher who defines a miracle as a remarkable and beneficial coincidence that is interpreted in a religious fashion.

Richard Swineburne

A philosopher who defines a miracle as an occurrence of a non-repeatable counter-instance to a law of nature that has religious significance.

Religious significance

The deeper significant reason for a miracle to have occurred, pointing towards a divine purpose.

Fabrice Muamba

A footballer who experienced a miracle and attributed it to the power of God.

St Thomas Aquinas

A medieval philosopher and theologian who articulated a systematic approach to theology and philosophy, notably arguing that a miracle is an event that transcends the regular patterns of the laws of nature, suggesting direct divine intervention.

Miracle

An extraordinary event typically attributed to divine intervention which contravenes established natural laws, showcasing a higher power's influence in the world.

Primary cause

The concept that God is the direct agent who intervenes in the natural order to perform a miracle, acting without intermediaries.

Secondary cause

The idea that God works through human beings or other entities to accomplish a miracle, suggesting a collaborative aspect of divine action.

Three types of miracles according to Aquinas

1. Miracles that involve actions which nature cannot produce at all; 2. Miracles that occur when God causes something nature can produce but in a different way than normally observed; 3. Miracles where natural processes occur but deviate from the standard principles of nature.

David Hulme

A contemporary philosopher who conceptualizes miracles as violations of natural laws by a deity's will or through the activation of an unseen force, emphasizing the role of divine causality.

R.F

A philosopher who perceives miracles as extraordinary events that happen by chance, which gain a religious interpretation, highlighting the subjective experience of believers.

Richard Swineburne

A prominent philosopher who defines a miracle as an event that serves as a unique, non-repeating instance contradicting established natural laws, particularly one that carries deep religious significance for those who witness it.

Religious significance

The intrinsic meaning or purpose behind a miracle, providing a connection to a divine intention or message, and highlighting how such events can be interpreted as signs of a higher purpose.

Fabrice Muamba

A professional footballer whose cardiac arrest during a match was viewed by many as a miracle, leading him to publicly credit divine intervention for his survival and recovery.