The Miracle Myth
Why Belief in the Resurrection and the Supernatural Is Unjustified
-
- $26.99
-
- $26.99
Publisher Description
There are many who believe Moses parted the Red Sea and Jesus came back from the dead. Others are certain that exorcisms occur, ghosts haunt attics, and the blessed can cure the terminally ill. Though miracles are immensely improbable, people have embraced them for millennia, seeing in them proof of a supernatural world that resists scientific explanation.
Helping us to think more critically about our belief in the improbable, The Miracle Myth casts a skeptical eye on attempts to justify belief in the supernatural, laying bare the fallacies that such attempts commit. Through arguments and accessible analysis, Larry Shapiro sharpens our critical faculties so we become less susceptible to tales of myths and miracles and learn how, ultimately, to evaluate claims regarding vastly improbable events on our own. Shapiro acknowledges that belief in miracles could be harmless, but cautions against allowing such beliefs to guide how we live our lives. His investigation reminds us of the importance of evidence and rational thinking as we explore the unknown.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Shapiro (Embodied Cognition), a philosophy professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, argues that there are not sufficient reasons for anyone to believe in miracles. Defining miracles as extremely improbable events with a supernatural cause, he lays out two trajectories of careful logic to refute faith in them. First, he shows briefly that seeing supernatural causes requires assumptions that cannot rule out other nondivine interventions. Second, the improbable nature of miracles heightens the requirements for proof. He builds these arguments through stories of improbable events that he claims most people view as absurd (a talking frog in India, alien abductions, and the revelation of the Book of Mormon) before applying the same scrutiny to Jesus's resurrection. Shapiro admits that miracles might have occurred, but he seems convinced that his work will cause even the firmest believers to doubt and reorganize their lives along more rational lines. His self-satisfaction might alienate some readers, but the explanations for his claims (especially on the nature of historical proof) are clear and readable. For those opposed to miracles, he offers a logically consistent line of argument. For believers, his reliance on purely logical approaches is unlikely to shake conviction.
