A miracle is an event not explicable by natural or scientific laws.^[1] Such an event may be attributed to asupernatural being (God or gods), a miracle worker, a saint or a religious leader.

Theologians say that, with divine providence, gods regularly work through created nature yet are free to work without, above, or against it as well.^[2]

The word "miracle" is often used to characterise any beneficial event that is statistically unlikely but not contrary to the laws of nature, such as surviving a natural disaster, or simply a "wonderful" occurrence, regardless of likelihood, such as a birth. Other miracles might be: survival of an illness diagnosed as terminal, escaping a life-threatening situation or 'beating the odds'. Some coincidences may be seen as miracles.^[3]

Contents

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• 1 Explanations
  • 1.1 Supernatural acts
  • 1.2 Law of truly large numbers
  • 1.3 Philosophical explanations
    • 1.3.1 Aristotelian and Neo-Aristotelian
    • 1.3.2 Baruch Spinoza
    • 1.3.3 David Hume
    • 1.3.4 Friedrich Schlelermacher
    • 1.3.5 Søren Kierkegaard
    • 1.3.6 James Keller
• 2 Religious views
  • 2.1 Buddhism
  • 2.2 Christianity
    • 2.2.1 Catholic Church
  • 2.3 Hinduism
  • 2.4 Islam
  • 2.5 Judaism
• 3 Criticism
• 4 See also
• 5 Notes and references
  • 5.1 General references and books
• 6 Further reading
• 7 External links

Explanations[edit]

Supernatural acts[edit]

A miracle is a phenomenon not explained by known laws of nature. Criteria for classifying an event as a miracle vary. Often a religious text, such as the Bible orQuran, states that a miracle occurred, and believers accept this as a fact. Many religious believers hold that, in the absence of a plausible scientific theory, the best explanation for these events is that they were performed by a supernatural being, and cite this as evidence for the existence of a god or gods.

Others suggest that God may work with the laws of nature to perform what people see as miracles.^[4] Some theologians say that, with divine providence, God regularly works through created nature yet is free to work without, above, or against it as well.^[2]

Law of truly large numbers[edit]

Main articles: Law of truly large numbers and Littlewood's law

British mathematician J. E. Littlewood suggested that individuals should statistically expect one-in-a-million events ("miracles") to happen to them at the rate of about one per month. By Littlewood's definition, seemingly miraculous events are actually commonplace.

Philosophical explanations[edit]

Aristotelian and Neo-Aristotelian[edit]

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The Aristotelian view of God does not include direct intervention in the order of the natural world. Jewish neo-Aristotelian philosophers, who are still influential today, include Maimonides, Samuel ben Judah ibn Tibbon, and Gersonides. Directly or indirectly, their views are still prevalent in much of the religious Jewish community.