Keener and his wife are no strangers to personal tragedy--having endured eight painful miscarriages. This is not a scholar who has a "pie int he sky" view of the miraculous, or expects God to intervene dramatically all the time. He simply wants or demonstrate that miraculous did, and do, happen. Worth the read, can't wait for the second volume Dec 10, Micael Grenholm rated it it was amazing.
One of the best books on miracles that exists. Keener is incredibly detailed and covers both ancient and modern miracle claims, primarily in a Christian context but also from other religions. He tackles the naturalist critique of miracles in a brilliant way and argues forcefully that the belief that miracles do not exist is just that - a belief - and that when Christians believe in New Testament miracles, they are just as rational, being supported by tons of miracle claims in modern times.
I rea One of the best books on miracles that exists. I really recommend this book to believers and skeptics alike! Sep 13, Brian Chilton rated it it was amazing. Keener provides an excellent two-volume manual concerning the credibility of the miracles presented in the New Testament. Attacking the Humean naturalistic bias, Keener provides numerous verified examples of miracles occurring globally that resembles many of the miracles denoted in the New Testament.
Whether one is a skeptic desiring to learn of the credibility of the miraculous, or the faithful desiring to strengthen one's belief in the miraculous, Keener's work is a must-have!!! Jul 23, Chris Sobbing rated it it was amazing. Everyone should read this, as it challenges what we believe in the West to be a predominant world view with what is the actual Majority World view of mircales. Like all things by Keener it achieves it's aim through an abundance of sited evidence and references. Sep 20, Rob Markley rated it it was amazing Shelves: Simple one line argument expanded and proved thoroughly over two volumes.
Yes miracles are real. Jan 29, Joe rated it it was amazing Shelves: In his two-volume work, Miracles: Keener executes his argumentation for these two theses over four parts. In part one, he discusses the New Testament In his two-volume work, Miracles: In part one, he discusses the New Testament accounts as well as ancient miracle claims outside of Christianity, comparing and contrasting the two.
Keener develops an anthology of miracle stories and perspectives including sources from all across the Majority World as well as the recent West. Keener then picks up his second thesis in part four, where he discusses several proposed explanations for such accounts. The amount of work that Keener put into this text is extraordinary in and of itself. Though this book requires a long effort to finish, such effort is not in vain. The weight of the evidence that Keener provides does well to support his first thesis, which is that miracle claims have been and still are afforded by eyewitnesses.
The implications of this conclusion alone offer a significant insight into the Scriptures — namely that the presence of the miraculous does not necessarily discount their having been written by eyewitnesses of Jesus. His second thesis, though obviously less empirical, is argued well.
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Keener effectively demonstrates that during the very periods that Hume and Bultmann argued against the miraculous, eyewitnesses were attesting to their existence. Keener admits himself the limitations of this study, which serve as the weaknesses to this work. With this book Craig Keener intends to expand upon his ideas as presented in a footnote in his recent commentary on Acts. His primary thesis is that eyewitnesses do offer miracle claims. He spends much of the book defending this thesis, and specifically targets the materialistic assumptions of David Hume and those who follow him.
Following this discussion, he lists specific eyewitness claims of miraculous events from around the world and throughout history since the time of Christ. In doing so, he challenges materialistic assumptions and a priori reasoning that supernatural, or at least supra-human forces do not exist. This is his secondary thesis, that supernatural explanations should be welcome in scholarly discussions. The book could be quite stretching for contemporary Christians, who often operate under anti-supernaturalistic assumptions. This book is also fairly lengthy and somewhat complex, and while its length might imply exhaustive research and objectivity, this is not the case.
Keener himself admits that this work does not take a scientifically representative sample of contemporary miracle claims. This may be the biggest weakness of the book. Instead of a representative sample, Keener relies heavily upon miracle claims gathered through his own contacts and personal trips. Other possible weaknesses of this book include the exceptional amount of time spent combating Hume, who has often been answered elsewhere, and its over repetition of certain ideas, such as the primary thesis as well as arguments against Hume and materialism.
Overall though, the book is an engaging read, and its lists of miracle claims are challenging for the current American reader. Oct 06, Rick rated it really liked it Shelves: Limited scope even given that it's two volumes. Tremendously instructive and insightful. Two great chapters answering David Hume's skepticism regarding miracles. Hundreds of documented eyewitness and personal accounts from around the world.
He sets out to make two primary arguments: His engagement with Hume and Enlightenment anti-supernaturalism is thorough and demonstrates that contemporary Western reductionist view of reality is an anomaly not only historically, but also geographically, a feature of the Western world as opposed to what he refers to as the "Majority World.
Keener provides vast numbers of documented examples from all over the world, including in Western cultures throughout history, but particularly within recent history up into the 21st century. His work is exhaustively footnoted and includes hundreds of pages beyond the pages of his work of bibliography and other documentation.
This is not a work for someone looking for a popular level examination of Miracles. For that purpose, I would recommend Eric Metaxes' similarly titled "Miracles," which is an excellent work in itself, and much more accessible to the lay-reader. He also includes several appendices dealing with the subject of spirit possession and related issue. Jun 08, Jeffrey Backlin rated it it was ok Shelves: I struggled as to wether I wanted to buy this title as Keener is not one of my favorite scholars he often writes well, but seems to often lack development in his thoughts with the later coming across as snippets instead of developed argument.
The thesis of the book is two claims: There are some pluses and minuses to the book. Pluses include - reminding me how naturalistic I can become in my thinking at times, reminding me of my cultural snobbery, and reminding me of the power of prayer. My chief negatives would be the choppy flow to the book with the author snapping back and forth between his two points, the lack of development in his arguments perhaps a subjective complaint , and the examples he gives are often only mentions with a footnote source without further development on details.
Apr 25, Jon Nichols rated it it was amazing. The most comprehensive, in-depth book I have ever read pertaining to the supernatural in the New Testament. Not an easy read by any means. This book actually began as a footnote to Keener's massive four volume commentary on Acts. I believe the last of the 4 volumes is to be released this Fall. The interdisciplinary synthesis is as careful as it is brilliant.
The arguments are evenhanded and nuanced.
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In short, this work takes scholarship on miracles to a new level of sophistication and depth. A truly amazing set of books. He shows that whatever the merits of Hume's claim in his own day, it can hardly be maintained today that 'miracles are not a part of normal experience and are not widely attested. Keener has painstakingly assembled the necessary data and is careful in the way he presents the evidence and draws his conclusions.
This book is a rarity in the scholarly world in that it is both rigorous in its scholarship and speaks with knowledge and passion about an exciting subject that demands our attention.
It will be a long time before those skeptical about miracles will even begin to mount a response to what will undoubtedly henceforth be the first stop for all serious researchers on this topic. In Miracles , Craig Keener offers an invaluable example of how that enrichment can take place through hard scholarly work and a passion for integrity.
He gives us an exhaustive wealth of historical understanding, anthropological richness, and missiological savvy. The book covers far more than the subtitle implies, because Keener places the debate over the biblical miracles in many different contexts, including the philosophical debate over miracles, views of miracles in the ancient world, contemporary evidence for miracles, and the relationship of the issue to science.
Although this book is clearly the product of immense learning and a mind at home in many disciplines, it is clearly written and argued and shows good sense throughout. Stephen Evans, University Professor of Philosophy and Humanities, Baylor University "Keener dares to accuse prevailing approaches to biblical-historical inquiry of operating according to ethnocentric prejudices and presuppositions, and then dares to make the charges stick with an avalanche of interdisciplinary arguments and evidence.
He challenges us to ask--not only as persons of faith, but also as committed academicians--one of the most important questions that we can: Is the natural world a closed system after all? This monumental study combines historical inquiry into late antiquity, philosophical and existential criticism of antisupernaturalism and the legacy of David Hume's epistemological skepticism, and ethnographic study of the phenomenon of the miraculous throughout the Majority World.
The result is a book that is important not only for the historical study of Jesus and the New Testament but also for our understanding of our contemporary world beyond the boundaries of our social location and its worldview. It brilliantly serves not only biblical scholars but also--equally important--mission thinkers and practitioners. He places the miracles of Jesus and his followers in a full and rich context that includes philosophy, history, theology, exegesis, comparative religion, cultural anthropology, and firsthand observation and testimony.
There is nothing like it. Keener's monumental work shifts the burden of proof heavily onto skeptics. This book is a must-read for all who are interested in the truly big questions of our day.
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Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College "Craig Keener has produced an impressive work that is meticulously researched, ambitious in historical and geographical scope, and relevant to current cultural concerns. Keener's bold exploration of the plausibility of past and present miracle claims should provoke interest--and debate--among a wide range of readers. That eyewitnesses frequently testify to miraculous healings and other 'extranormal' events is demonstrated beyond doubt.
Keener mounts a very strong challenge to the methodological skepticism about the miraculous to which so many New Testament scholars are still committed. It turns out to be an ethnocentric prejudice of modern Western intellectuals. So who's afraid of David Hume now?
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Andrews University; senior scholar, Ridley Hall, Cambridge "This book is the kind of performance that reviewers of opera like to call 'bravura' or 'virtuoso' and that philosophers call a tour de force. After putting it down, I'm standing up, clapping, and shouting 'Bravo!
He is author of 25 books, 5 of which have won awards in Christianity Today. More than a million copies of his books are in Continue reading about Craig S. Ben Witherington on the back book jacket rightly labels [this work] 'perhaps the best book ever written on miracles.
Keener's work deserves the widest possible audience. Anyone who claims that events akin to New Testament miracles do not happen today but who has not carefully read and evaluated these volumes must be pointed to them. Anyone who does read them but opts for naturalistic explanations for all of them has far more faith in an unverifiable ideology than I do in Jesus!
So long in coming and so sorely needed, Miracles takes back the initiative in the debate and relocates the burden of proof onto those who wish to dismiss miracles. In doing so, Keener rouses us from our western naturalistic dogmatic slumber and wipes away the scales from our eyes allowing us to see afresh God moving via the miraculous in the New Testament and in the world today.
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This book induces what is very often missing from scholarship: Keener is a thoughtful and respectful scholar and this is a very ambitious work. Craig Keener's Miracles is just such a book. Of course, Keener's book is not the first to challenge the modern predisposition against miracles. But his book is unique in that it is up-to-date on the latest scholarship, vast in its detail and documentation over 1, pages!
Keener has written an impressive and well-argued work on a very important subject. Not only has he reiterated the long-standing critiques against Hume in a fresh way, but he has broken new ground by exploring modern miracle claims with unprecedented documentation. Any future discussions of miracles in the NT or in the modern day will surely have to reckon with the arguments of this book.
Kruger, Themelios "Though many scholars have addressed the subject of the 'miraculous' in religion, Craig Keener's two volume Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts stands as a highly anticipated and much needed treatment of the topic's significance for the Christian tradition. The work is both thoroughly documented and fairly exhaustive in its treatment of the various debates and issues which attend the apologetic and historical issues of miraculous accounts. Keener's work on the topic is to be commended on several specific points. First, Keener's argument for miracles ultimately comes down to a desire to challenge the naturalistic 'explaining away' of miracles within academic circles.
Secondly, no one can state that miracle claims are rare or poorly attested.
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The extensive amount of footnotes and sources which have gone into Keener's work serves to blow a hole in this assertion. Third, Keener is to be applauded for his historical scrutiny. While Keener's conviction that miracles do occur is evident, one gains the impression that his conviction stems not from an attempt to prove his presuppositions but to follow where the evidence leads.
His engagement with history, sociology, philosophy, theology, anthropology, and science suggest that he is trying to make a cumulative and coherent case based on data. Keener is to be highly considered for the case he puts forth. The book deserves to be read as a definitive contribution to its subject area. Keener's primary thesis is thus modest: Keener's secondary thesis is even more ambitious and will prove much more controversial in biblical studies and the wider culture, given the recent outbreak of jejune New Atheism.
He posits 'that supernatural explanations, while not suitable in every case, should be welcome on the scholarly table along with other explanations often discussed,' for 'antisupernaturalism has reigned as an inflexible Western academic premise long enough.
The extensive documentation of miracle claims is impressive, but what's really new and useful is Keener's claim that rejection of the miraculous is ethnocentric, particularly Eurocentric. One might even say Teutonocentric. Keener's work should prove a compelling witness to those who doubt miraculous claims both ancient and modern.
This is a gem. Keener, in a rare measure, combines amazing research and writing skills with genuine compassion and pastoral sensitivity. Keener's work on miracles will prove the standard work of its generation and perhaps several to come. It sustains two clear and important theses with effective organization, meticulous scholarship, passionate concentration, and gravity though without the author taking himself with undue seriousness.
A brief review cannot suffice adequately to commend this study, which given its massive scope and speed of production might even qualify as a mini-miracle in itself a category, one admits, not found in the book. Whether those most in need of considering Keener's arguments i.