Miracles (Paperback)

There are a number of strengths to this book which continue to make the book solidly relevant better than forty years after the revised edition came out. Lewis cuts to the heart of the matter very quickly in asserting that rejection of miracles apriori is a common attitude that at its core, is anti-intellectual. Attempts to base rejection of miracles on probabilities, as Hume tried to do, are philosophically untenable and require a betrayal of basic realities that are universally accepted.

Lewis then systematically dismantles the worldview that tends to most cradle apriori miracle rejection, naturalism. He compellingly shows that naturalism is a worldview that cannot stand up to philosophical scrutiny. Key to Lewis's presentation is his argument that naturalism can be demonstrated to be false in its complete rejection of supernaturalism merely by the reality of reason. Logic and reason of the mind, by themselves, are supernatural acts that cannot be explained or accounted for in nature, as naturalism demands. Supernaturalism, according to Lewis is not only possible, but pervasive since the act of logical thinking itself is supernatural in origin.

Lewis then eloquently argues that the relationship between nature and the supernatural are not hostile, but complementary. In Lewis's view, nature is quite pliable to accommodate and assimilate supernatural acts in ways that do not bring the kind of chaos and randomness that many naturalists believe to be reprehensible relative to the 'invasion' of nature by alleged supernatural acts. Lewis persuasively demonstrates that this concern is bogus.

Once the reality, possibility, and plausibility of miracles has been established philosophically, Lewis moves to classifying the Biblical miracles as either old creation or new creation miracles. Here, readers might be a bit disappointed by the presentation. Those looking for an evidential defense of miracles in general or any specific miracle in particular will not find it here. This is a philosophical presentation that is chiefly concerned with whether miracles are possible and/or probable. It is not an evidential defense of the possibility of any specific miracle. Lewis's central point is that human beings are disinclined towards believing in the inherent possibility of miracles for reasons that are not intellectually honest and calls for a fresh reappraisal of the possibility of miracles with a fresh attitude of open mindedness and a sincere commitment to soberly seek the truth absent bias. On this point, he does very well.

I noted that I thought the book deserved 4.5 stars rather than a full blown 5 stars. There are two main reasons why this is. First, his discussion of the Incarnation, while fascinating, was mostly off topic. The focus of Lewis's discussion was not on the miraculous nature of the Incarnation, but on its meaning to the believer and its relationship to nature. The discussion is good, but in a book on miracles, I found it to be misplaced. Second, and perhaps more crucial, is that Lewis succumbs to the very ad hoc skepticism that he argues so passionately against. Without elaboration, Lewis introduces the idea of 'Hebrew mythology' as being behind at least some of the miracles described in the Old Testament (Jonah and the whale being one). Why Lewis believes that some Biblical miracles are genuine while others are mythological is something he doesn't discuss. But the reader gets the sense that by taking this position, Lewis is caving in to the very kind of apriori rejection he repeatedly and rightly condemns throughout the book. Lewis's central argument is therefore undermined by his own unwarranted and unexplained backtracking from his own position.

But because this slip of reason is confined to only one or two paragraphs of the book, it is a weakness that while noteworthy and unfortunate, is not fatal to his argument. One who remains skeptical about the viability of miracles should consider that Lewis revised this book back in 1960 (in response to the arguments of Anscombe) and to date, there has been no compelling rebuttal to its tenets. Attempts to erect a solid rebuttal have been presented and then systematically refuted as erroneous and mostly illogical. As a result, this book has stood the test of time and remains a compelling argument that should provide great comfort and assurance to those who believe the Biblical miracles on faith, but wonder whether this belief can also be grounded in reason and philosophical argument. It can, and we should expect nothing less from the Creator who not only created nature and supernaturally intervenes in nature, but who also created perfect logic and reason.

Like many people, I had only read 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' when I was younger but never knew how starved of Lewis' passion for Christ, which is reflected through his theological publications, I had been. He is clearly very much in love with God whom he sees as incomparable with Nature.

The genius of 'Miracles' to me, lies in the fact that it is a very readable evangelistic text disguised as 'a philosophical preparation for the possibility of the existence of Miracles'. Lewis' method is very good. He uses a mixture of friendly sarcasm, reverse psychology and intense detail to get right alongside the reader who he assumes is not a Christian. As a Christian myself, I felt that the book was wasted on me, it should be being read by a person who does not yet know Jesus Christ as their Lord.

Most of the book is dedicated to excrutiating explanations of the Incarnation, God's use of the Miraculous in His constant governance of the Earth and Prayer.

If I had any problem with the book it would be that at times it is quite un-focussed on Christ. Lewis cites the Incarnation (God made Man in Jesus Christ) as God's primary miracle but he does not really explain what this means for the ordinary person in terms of grace (undeserved love of God for us all)and cancellation of sin through the Cross. Maybe, as an evangelistic type of person, I will never be satisfied with any book like Miracles! At times the book feels like a labour of love, his writing on the Law of Nature is painstaking and at times, a little tedious but this, I believe, is only a reflection of his passionate desire for the reader to know Christ. He just has to take you everywhere before taking you home to God!

One last obvious and unintended problem is founded in the fact that this book was written for a different age when the post-modernist free for all denial of absolute truth was just a glint in the modernist's eye. Lewis would also clearly be shocked that unlike his own 'unvenerated' age, sexual intercourse has lost its mystery and need for self-control. I think he would be shocked by today's society - or lack of it.

But really, this is a terrific book. Reading Miracles as a committed Christian, I can see the method he uses and where he will take the reader. It's as if he is speaking in code to Christians! But this code is no secret, to decipher it is to know the greatest gift ever given to humankind, the person of God in Jesus Christ.

It is only when you are almost finished does Lewis just about admit that he had an alterior motive for writing Miracles. But by then, he hopes, the reader will be ready to begin looking into the riches of the Christian Gospel (good news), not just the possibility of the Miraculous!

Go and read it or I could send you my notes on the book. Feel free to get in touch.

Enjoy! Nicola.