God Is Not Great (Hitchens), 175
“God things,” 232–33
“Goldilocks Zone,” 179
gospels
according to Keener, 83–84
according to Shermer, 57–59, 83
as biographies, 84, 199
dating, 197
discrepancies in, 198–200
eyewitness, 195–98
forensic statement analysis of, 190, 193
and Jesus’ resurrection, 205–6, 207–8
of John, 57, 158–59, 196, 199, 203
of Luke, 84, 85, 86, 196, 197, 199, 200–201
of Mark, 85, 196, 197, 199
of Matthew, 85, 86, 196, 199, 200, 201, 258
and miracles, 85, 116
mysteries solved, 200–202
purpose of, 58–59
and supernatural events, 264–65
Gould, Stephen Jay, 37, 122–23
grace, God’s, 157, 195, 209, 210, 265
gravity, 171, 176, 178
Greenleaf, Simon, 198
grief, 252
Groesbeck, Jennifer, 20–21
Groothuis, Douglas R., 235–53
Groothuis, Rebecca, 236–37, 241–53
Guthrie, Nancy, 259
Habermas, Gary, 204
Hall, Harriet, 31, 260–61, 263–64
hallucinations, 207–8
Hamas, 148, 149
hands-on prayer. See proximal intercessory prayer
Harris, William S., 127–28, 129
Harrison, Edward R., 179
Hating God (Schweizer), 246
Hauerwas, Stanley, 217–18
Hawking, Stephen, 169, 178, 183
healing, medical, 97, 111–13, 253
anecdotes about, 51
blindness, 110, 114, 134–37
and church growth, 115–16
deafness, 99–101, 134–37
and evangelical Christians, 229–30
heart problems, 107–8, 108–10, 121–22
and intercessory prayer (See intercessory prayer)
miracles, 25–26, 50–51, 89
multiple sclerosis, 101–5
and prayer (See prayer)
and science, 122
Thérese Magnouha, 98–99
in Third World countries, 132
heart problems, 107–8, 108–10, 121–22
heaven, 64–65
hepatitis B, 112–13
hermeneutic of suspicion, 96–98
heterophoria, 112
Historical Jesus of the Gospels, The (Keener), 83
history, 35, 58–59
Hitchens, Christopher, 29, 65, 175
Holloway, Adrian, 255–58
Holy Spirit, 78, 218, 230
hope, 239, 240, 248, 251, 252–53, 260
Horgan, John, 183
hot water bottle miracle, 16–17
Hoyle, Fred, 169
Hubble, Edwin, 170
humanity, fall of, 248
Hume, David, 27, 52–54, 73, 83, 239–40, 261
case against miracles, 87–92
and circular reasoning, 88–90
definition of miracle, 88
Hume’s Abject Failure (Earman), 91–92
Huxley, Thomas Henry, 47
Hybels, Bill, 230–31
hydrogen, 170, 178, 180
hypnosis, 137
illiteracy, 134, 152
immortality, 63–66
Impossible Love (Keener), 76
In Defense of Natural Theology (Groothius), 239–40
India, 115
infinity, 65
inflation, cosmic, 176–77
intelligence, 181
intercessory prayer, 123–33, 258, 262
intuition, 48
irregular galaxy, 179
Isaiah
53:5, 26
55, 188
Islam. See Muslims
Israel, 148
James 5:14, 25
Jansenism, 89
Jenkins, Jerry, 144
Jesus
archaeological evidence of death, 205
compared with Buddha, 247
credibility of actual death, 202–6
as healer and exorcist, 85–87
and the marginalized, 151
and miracles, 57, 74, 85–87, 132
as moral teacher, 60–61
resurrection of (See resurrection, Jesus’)
what Qur’an says about, 150
Jesus dreams, 145–48, 149, 150–52, 155–56, 158–60, 262
Jews, 60, 86, 148, 208–10
Job, 251–52
John
3:16, 39
gospel of, 57, 158–59, 196, 199, 203
Johnson, David, 92
Josephus, Titus Flavius, 59, 86
Kaaba, 149
kalam argument, 172, 185
Kapic, Kelly M., 238
Keener, Craig S., 71–117, 199, 262
case studies of miracles, 95–117
faith journey, 77–82
how people should view claims of miracles, 92–93
reports of blindness cures, 110
supernatural events, 78–79, 81
view of gospels, 83–84
Keller, Timothy, 24
Kierkegaard, Søren, 238
kingdom of God, 60
Kingdom Triangle (Moreland), 115
Krauss, Lawrence, 171
lament, 246, 252
Lapides, Louis, 209–10
Larmer, Robert, 112–13
laws of nature. See natural law
Lazarus, 247–48
Lemaître, George, 169
Leslie, John, 184
Lewis, C. S., 44, 191
Lewis, Geraint, 163
liberalism, modern theological, 221, 223
Licona, Michael R., 198–200, 204
life forms, carbon-based, 180
light, speed of, 170–71
limb regrowth, 51, 113–14, 263
literary spotlighting, 199
Luke
4:40, 132
13, 140–41
gospel of, 84, 85, 86, 196, 197, 199, 200–201
Ma, Julia, 115
“magical thinking,” 232
Magness, Jodi, 205
magnetic fields, 180
Magnouha, Thérese, 98–99
Mark, gospel of, 85, 196, 197, 199
Markin, Jeff, 108–10
Marshall, Catherine, 250–51
Marshall, I. Howard, 75
Marshall, Thomas, 101–5
Mary Magdalene, 199
Matthew, gospel of, 85, 86, 196, 199, 200, 201, 258
Matthews, Dale, 132–33
Maudlin, Tim, 182–83
McGrew, Timothy, 29
Mecca, 149
medical healings. See healing, medical
medical technology, 114–15
medicine, 134, 227. See also healing, medical
Megashift (Rutz), 116
meningitis, 111
mentalist, 22–23
Merz, Annette, 87
messiah myth, 61
Metaphysics within Physics, The (Maudlin), 182–83
microwave radiation, background, 170
Middle East, 143–44, 154–55
migraines, 112
Miller, Duane, 18–19, 26
Miracle Myth, The (Shapiro), 87
miracles
Americans’ views of, 29–31
vs. anomalies, 49–52
and atheism, 29
blindness cured, 110, 134–37
broken ankle, 106
case against, 33–69, 260–62
case for, 71–117
characteristics of geographical
locations for, 134
chemistry exam, 15–16
vs. coincidences, 26–29
confidence in, 93
creation of the universe (See creation miracle)
and credible evidence, 93
deafness cured, 99–101, 134–37
defined, 27–28, 49
difficulties with, 211–53
and education level, 30, 222–23
and ethnicity, 30
and evangelical Christians, 219–21
and evidence of God, 168
fake, 22–23
as gentle whispers of God, 230–33
in gospels, 116–17, 264–65
healing, 25–26, 50–52, 89, 97, 98–99, 107–8, 108–10, 111–13
historical evidence for, 240
hot water bottle, 16–17
and Hume (See Hume, David)
icy water rescue, 20–21
and income level, 30, 222–23
investigating, 15–32
and Jesus, 57, 74, 85–87, 132
and Keener, 92–93, 95–117
“knockdown argument” against, 47–55, 261
limb regrowth as proof of, 51, 113–14, 263
most spectacular, 161–210
in Mozambique, 133–36
multiple sclerosis healing, 101–5
and myths, 57–69
in New Testament, 57–58, 73
in non-Christian sources, 86
performed by Jesus, 132
and physicians, 31
and prayer, 97, 103–5, 111–13
recorded in Bible, 57
resurrection of Jesus (See resurrection, Jesus’)
and science, 48–49, 121–38
scientific survey on, 30–31
that don’t happen, 44–46, 235–53, 259
in Third World countries, 114–16, 132, 228–29
transistor radio, 66–69
voice restoration, 18–19, 26
Miracles (Keener), 73–74, 76
misotheism, 246
misperceptions, 54
moral code, 193, 195
Moreland, J. P., 115, 132, 238–39
mortality, 63–66
Moses, 60
Mozambique, 133–36
M-theory, 183
Muhammad, 60–61, 151
multiple sclerosis, 101–5
multiverse, 63, 181–84
Muslims, 144–45, 247
access to Christianity beliefs, 152–54
beliefs about Jesus’ death, 204
conversion to Christianity, 141–43, 145, 154–56
dreams and visions, 141–43, 145–48, 159, 262
God reaching out to, 155
and Jesus’ resurrection, 60
objections to Christianity, 150–52
supernatural beliefs, 60–61
myths, 57–69, 84
natural law, 53–54, 63, 88, 164, 167
“natural man,” 195
naturalism, 218, 223
Nature of Space and Time, The (Hawking), 178
neutrons, 178
New Testament, 57–58, 73, 116
Nigeria, 228
9/11, 145
Norwood, Douglas, 114
nuclear force, 177–78
Occam’s razor, 186
Olson, Roger E., 213–33
physical healing in his life, 225–27
pain, 44
Palestine, 148, 149
pantheism, 187, 247
Papias, 196
paralysis, 111
Pascal, Blaise, 89
Paul (apostle), 59, 86, 197, 207, 208, 229, 252, 258, 264
Penrose, Roger, 178
Pentecostals, 132, 137
Penzias, Arno, 170
perfection, 265
periodic table of elements, 177, 185
Peter (disciple), 196, 201, 207, 249
petitionary prayers, 130, 221
Philippians 4:13, 107
Philippines, 115
physics, 163, 166
placebo effect, 50, 54, 105, 125
Planck satellite, 171
planet, miraculous, 175–88
plate tectonics, 180
Plato, 77
Plutarch, 199
Polkinghorne, John, 111, 183–84
Polycarp, 205
prayer
affirmative, 130–31
conflicted feelings about, 25–26
direct-contact, 133
distant intercessory, 132
and evangelicals, 220–21
intercessory (See intercessory prayer)
and medical healing, 51–52, 103–5, 111–13, 114, 121–22, 132, 229–30, 255–58
and medicine, 227
and miracles, 97, 135
petitionary, 130, 221
power of, 222
proximal intercessory prayer, 132, 137, 262
public, 255–56
of relinquishment, 249–52
and science, 125
unanswered, 229, 235–53
Unity’s attitude toward, 130–31
presuppositions, 193–95
Probe, 130
prosperity, power of, 222
Protestants, 129–31
protons, 178
Proverbs, book of, 266
proximal intercessory prayer, 132, 137, 262
Psalms
19:1, 167–68
103, 19
purpose, 46, 79
Purtill, Richard L., 27–28, 49
Q material, 85–86
quantum mechanics, 188
quantum theory, 171
quarks, 178
Qur’an, 149, 150, 204
Qureshi, Nabeel, 139–41
radiation, 170, 171, 179
randomness, 182
rationalism, 218
reason, 35
reasoning, circular, 88–90
“red shift,” 170
religion
Eastern, 187
organized, 91
relinquishment, prayer of, 249–52
remissions, spontaneous, 28–29, 97, 105, 125, 260
repentance, 265
resignation, 250–51
respectability, 221–23
resurrection, Jesus’, 23, 59–60, 86, 189–210, 240, 263, 265
vision theory of, 207–8
why Jews don’t accept, 208–10
rheumatoid arthritis, 132–33
Rhodes, Ron, 130
Romans
1:20, 167
8:28, 252
Roseveare, Helen, 16–17
Ross, Hugh, 178, 181, 187
Russell, Bertrand, 65–66
Rutz, Jim, 115–16
Sagan, Carl, 172
salvation, 134
Schleiermacher, Friedrich, 221, 223–24
Schopenhauer, Arthur, 22
Schweizer, Bernard, 246
science, 23, 29, 30, 35, 43, 64, 119–60, 223, 224, 263
and the big bang, 62
and God, 186–88
history of, 48–49
of miracles, 121–38
and prayer, 125
scientism, 122
Shapiro, Larry, 87
Shermer, Michael, 32, 33–69, 83, 258, 260
and afterlife, 63–65
belief in who Jesus was, 60–61
black holes, 182
challenges to skepticism, 66–69
definition of faith, 54–55
and Hume, 53–54, 87–90
and Jesus’ resurrection, 209
“knockdown argument” against miracles, 47–55
and limb regrowth, 51, 113–14, 263
loss of faith, 44–46
and New Testament miracles, 57–58
origin of the universe, 164–65, 173
path toward skepticism, 42–43
spiritual journey, 39–42
and supernatural events, 74
unanswered prayer, 236
Sickness unto Death, The (Kierkegaard), 238
Silent Unity School, 129–31
sin, 134, 195
Singh, Jarnail, 111
Singh, Kuldeep, 111
Skeptic magazine, 32, 35, 36
skepticism, 23, 29, 190
defined, 48
Shermer’s, 42–43, 66–69
solar system, 185
sorcery, 86
Southern Medical Journal, 126–27, 133, 136
speed of light, 170–71
Spinoza, Baruch, 37, 223
spiral galaxy, 179
spirit world, 134
spirituality, 63–66, 224
spontaneous remissions, 28–29, 97, 125, 260
Stafford, Tim, 134
stars, 179–80, 185
“startling deeds,” 86
steady state theory, 169
STEP (Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer), 51–52, 121–22, 123, 126–32
Sterling, Gregory E., 75
Strauss, Michael G., 163–74, 175–88, 194, 263
string theory, 183
stroke, 113
submission, 251, 259
suffering, 236, 239, 240, 246, 247, 248, 260
suggestion, power of, 137
sun, 179–80, 185
supernatural events, 30, 49, 134. See also miracles
embarrassment by, 213–33
Keener’s, 78–79, 81
and Shermer, 74
suspicion, hermeneutic of, 96–98
Swinburne, Richard, 27, 184
Tang, Edmond, 115
technology, 114–15
tectonic activity, 180
Telchin, Stan, 210
Templeton Foundation, 52
Theissen, Gerd, 87
theology
of healing prayer, 133
liberal, 223
trickle-down, 223–25
Third World countries, 114–15, 132, 227–29
Tipler, Frank, 181–82
tombs, 204–6
Tournier, Paul, 249
tragedy, 44
transistor radio, 66–69
Treatise of Human Nature, A (Hume), 52
tribulation, 252
trickle-down theology, 223–25
trust, 251
tuberculosis, 111–12
Tucker, Ruth, 130
Twelftree, Graham H., 53, 57
ulcers, 112
underdeveloped countries, 114–16
undesigned coincidences, 200–202
Unity School, 129–31
universe
beginning of, 169, 171–74
creation of (See creation miracle)
as evidence of existence of
miracles, 175–88
expanding, 168–69, 185
fine-tuning of, 63, 164, 176, 179, 182–84, 184–86, 240, 263
oscillating, 172–73
Universes (Leslie), 184
Vermes, Geza, 86
Vilenkin, Alexander, 174
virgin birth, 164
visions. See dreams
voice restoration miracle, 18–19, 26
Wahnefried, Joy, 112
Walking through Twilight (Groothius), 238–39
Wallace, J. Warner, 189–210, 263
Ward, Keith, 92
Warfield, Benjamin, 228–29
Webster, Greg, 144
White, John, 111–12
Wilkinson, Ed, 107–8
Williford, Tricia Lott, 259–60
Willimon, William H., 217–18
Wilson, Robert, 170
Witherington, Ben III, 73
Word of God, 153
Zacharias, Ravi, 141–42