Abstract

LICONA, Michael R.  and  VAN DER WATT, Jan G.. The adjudication of miracles: rethinking the criteria of historicity. Herv. teol. stud. [online]. 2009, vol.65, n.1, pp. 0-0. ISSN 0259-9422.

This is the second article in a series of two that discusses whether historians are within their professional rights to investigate miracle claims. In the first, I made a positive case that they are and then proceeded to examine two major arguments in support of a negative verdict to the issue: the principle of analogy and antecedent probability. I argued that neither should deter historians from issuing a positive verdict on miracle claims when certain criteria are met and the event is the best explanation of the relevant historical bedrock. In this second article, I examine three additional objections commonly appealed to by biblical scholars: the theological objection, lack of consensus and miracle claims in multiple religions. The resurrection of Jesus is occasionally cited as an example.

Keywords : miracles; principle of analogy; antecedent probability; historicity of miracle stories; Biblical hermeneutics.