The Case Against Miracles

For as long as the idea of “miracles” has been in the public sphere, the conversation about them has been shaped exclusively by religious apologists and Christian leaders. The definitions for what a miracles are have been forged by the same men who fought hard to promote their own beliefs as fitting under that umbrella. It’s time for a change. Enter John W. Loftus, an atheist author who has earned three master’s degrees from Lincoln Christian Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Loftus, a former student of noted Christian apologist William Lane Craig, got some of the biggest names in the field to contribute to this book, which represents a critical analysis of the very idea of miracles. Incorporating his own thoughts along with those of noted academics, philosophers, and theologians, Loftus is able to properly define “miracle” and then show why there’s no reason to believe such a thing even exists. Addressing every single issue that touches on miracles in a thorough and academic manner, this compilation represents the most extensive look at the phenomenon ever displayed through the lens of an ardent non-believer. If you’ve ever wondered exactly what a miracle is, or doubted whether they exist, then this book is for you. Foreword: On Miracles and Truth By Michael Shermer Introduction Part 1: Miracles and the Abject Failure of Christian Apologetics 1| Miracles and the Challenge of Apologetics By David Corner 2| God Would Not Perform Miracles By Matt McCormick 3| Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence By John W. Loftus 4| Properly Investigating Miracle Claims By Darren M. Slade 5| Assessing Keener’s Miracles By Edward T. Babinski 6| The Abject Failure of Christian Apologetics By John W. Loftus 7| Why Do Christians Believe in Miracles? By Valerie Tarico Part 2: Properly Investigating the Miracle of Biblical Revelation 8| Why the Romans Believed the Gospels By R. G. Price 9| How New Testament Writers Helped Jesus Fulfill Prophecy By Robert J. Miller 10| The Prophetic Failure of Christ’s Return By Robert Conner 11| Five Inconvenient Truths that Falsify Biblical Revelation By David Madison, PhD Part 3: Properly Investigating Key Biblical Miracles 12| Evolution is a Fact! By Abby Hafer 13| Old Testament Miracle Genres as Folklore and Legend By Randall Heskett 14| Science, Miracles and Noah’s Flood By Clay Farris Naff 15| Jesus Christ: Docetic Demigod By Robert M. Price 16| Miracles of the Christian Magicians By Robert Conner 17| Credulity At Cana? By Evan Fales 18| The Resurrection of Jesus Never Took Place by John Loftus 19| Paul’s Christianity By Robert Conner Epilogue Appendix: Hume On Proof and Mathematical Probability by John W. Loftus About the contributing Authors