The Miracle Myth: Why Belief in the Resurrection and the Supernatural Is Unjustified

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. (Sept.)