Bible Scholar Takes Contemporary Miracles Seriously

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 3:34 pm by Mark D. Roberts

Bible Scholar Takes Contemporary Miracles Seriously 2015-03-13T15:34:39-05:00 Mark D. Roberts

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A recent issue of Christianity Today magazine featured a fascinating interview with New Testament scholar, Craig Keener. Keener, a prolific scholar who now teaches at Asbury Seminary, recently published a massive two-volume work entitled Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. In his typically encyclopedic fashion, which required 1172 pages, Keener examines the evidence for the miracles in the New Testament. He finds that evidence to be persuasive.

All of this is not especially surprising, given Keener’s solid, orthodox biblical scholarship. What is surprising, however, is his willingness to examine the evidence for contemporary miracles. Most scholars, even evangelical ones, stay far away from this sort of thing because believing that God does miracles today doesn’t advance one’s scholarly reputation or career. But Keener dares to go into realms that most scholars avoid, looking seriously at the evidence for miracles today.

His willingness to be so unorthodox in his scholarly approach, though orthodox in his theology, reflects Keener’s own life experience. As the Christianity Today article explains, Keener is married to Médine, an African woman, whose religious experience in Africa includes many miracles. In fact, throughout much of Africa today, Christians claim to experience the power of God in amazing ways. Keener decided that, as a scholar, he needed to investigate these claims.

Like any academic book, Miracles is certainly open to scholarly critique. But Kenner has documented what is happening in the world today in such a way that it becomes increasingly irresponsible and parochial for scholars to assume that miracles don’t happen and make this assumption part of the basis for their scholarship. Even if one is not convinced by Keener’s work, he has certainly muddied the water for those who used to see clearly that miracles don’t happen and/or have no rightful role in serious scholarship.

I’m drawing these conclusions, not from the book itself, but from the Christianity Today interview, as well as from my appreciation of Keener’s scholarship. I have greatly appreciated many of his other writings. Since the book is 1172 pages long (in two volumes), and since it cost $35.00, even when discounted at Amazon, I’m waiting for the Kindle version. As soon as Baker releases it, I’ll buy it.

Previous Post

January 11, 2012

Prodigious Procrastination and the Great Big Box

Next Post

January 15, 2012 God, Answer Me Quickly! Inspiration from The High Calling

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Advent Calendar Alissa Wilkinson Archeology Art and Faith Ash Wednesday Bible Books Business Business and Faith Christian Year (Liturgical or Church Year) Christmas Christmas according to Dickens Christmas, Culture, and Christ Christmas: Keeping Christmas Well Church and Culture Church and Ministry Church and Technology Church Life Church: What is a Church? Cities Code of Ethics for Pastors Contentment Creativity Cultural Commentary Culture Daily Reflections Dallas Willard Deliberating on Digital Dignity Easter Education Ephesus and the New Testament Ethics Eugene Peterson Evangelical Existential Questions Faith Faith and Work Family Food Friendship Fun Good Reads Gospel Centered Christianity Grace Handel's Messiah Harvard University Health High Calling History Holidays Holy Spirit Holy Week Hospitality How Does God Guide Us? Hunger Games Insights for Leaders - De Pree Center Inspiration from the High Calling Jesus Jesus: Following Him as a Disciple Jesus: Seven Last Words Jesus: Was Jesus Married? Jesus: What Was His Message? Jesus: Why Did He Have to Die? Laity Lodge Leadership Leadership Conversation Lent Les Miserables Life for Leaders Linda's Advent Doodles Linda's Lenten Doodles Living Well Loving Neighbors Max De Pree Center for Leadership Mental Health Mission of God and Missional Church Money Moral Dilemmas Mormonism Movies Nature New York City Pastors and Churches Pentecost Photos to Share Poetry Police Blotter Politics Prayer Preachers Portal Preaching Presbyterian Church Quotations Reading the Times Recommendations Reflecting on Technology Religion and Culture Ruminations Sabbath Science Seven Last Words Sexual Harassment Social Media Something to Think About Spiritual Warfare Sports Stations of the Cross Stephen Hawking: Heaven and Faith Stories Technology and Culture Technology and Education Technology and Mental Health Technology Bits Texas Thanksgiving The High Calling Thin Places Uncategorized Vocation Women Words Work Worship

Select a Month November 2018 October 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 April 2015 March 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 November 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Paul tells the Colossians to set their minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Select your answer to see how you score.

TRUE FALSE