A Simple Guide to Experience Miracles

Reviewed by:

Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Title:

A Simple Guide to Experience Miracles

Author:

J.P. Moreland

Publisher:

Zondervan Reflective

Publication Date:

November 16, 2021

Format:

Paperback

Length:

288 pages

OVERVIEW

The Bible talks a lot about miracles, and church history is full of stories about miracles happening after the New Testament period. However, many Christians wonder if it’s reasonable to believe in supernatural phenomena in our contemporary world. J.P. Moreland presents philosophical arguments for why it’s still reasonable to believe in the supernatural, along with contemporary research about four kinds of supernatural phenomena:

• Miraculous events
• Angelic/Demonic visitations
• The phenomena of God talking to people
• Near Death Experiences (NDEs)

Books about contemporary miracles and NDEs are fairly common in the “inspirational literature” side of Christian publishing. While these books are often well-intentioned, they aren’t necessarily written well. Many of them also fail to give a philosophical overview of why the topic matters, how to handle critiques by secular thinkers, and so forth. As a philosopher professor who teaches at Biola’s Talbot School of Theology, Moreland has the credentials to address these concerns, and uses that training well. He considers whether it’s reasonable to believe in miracles in the 21st century, how we determine the accuracy of miracle reports, and the line between coincidence and the miraculous. When talking about how to determine if a miracle really happened, he argues for why scientific research and data cannot verify all kinds of phenomena (at one point, he describes a debate with an atheist lawyer where he noted that if only scientific research leads to truth, legal testimony is useless). When addressing “why do we pray if God already knows what’s going on and is powerful enough to fix things?” Moreland applies his epistemology training to argue how human free will and God’s sovereignty can partner together. Some of these arguments have also appeared in Christian apologetic works (Lee Strobel’s exploration of Christ’s resurrection in The Case for Christ, etc.). By applying this material to discussions about miracles, Moreland gives leaders an educated, rigorous way to discuss the existence of the supernatural.

When he starts talking about reports of supernatural phenomena, Moreland is equally careful. He makes good arguments for every point, and addresses areas of ambiguity (how the Bible talks about “possession,” how NDEs cut across religious lines and cultures, etc.). When he speculates on matters (why miracles seem to be resurging since the mid-20^th century, why God chooses to communicate in different ways to different people), he makes it clear that he’s giving a likely explanation which has room for error. This humility, plus his emphasis on supporting his claims, makes the book intellectually rigorous.

A very good combination of apologetics and contemporary accounts of supernatural events that will help educated and layman readers consider their beliefs.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5 stars)

4.5 stars

Suggested Audience

Christians skeptical of miracles, seeking well-developed arguments and research on the supernatural, particularly books written in an accessible style.

Christian Impact

Moreland helps readers to consider what they believe about the supernatural and advocates for an orthodox Christian worldview that accepts its existence in the world today. He also helps readers tie these concerns to epistemology (the study of knowledge) and apologetics, giving philosophical arguments that complement these subjects.