Miracles Three Volumes : God, Science, and Psychology in the Paranormal (Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality)

973 Pages·2008·8.96 MB·English

by  J. Harold Ellens

Miracles

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M
iracles
God, Scence, and Psychology
n the Paranormal
Volume 1
Relgous and Sprtual Events
Edited by J. Harold Ellens
Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality

library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Miracles : God, science, and psychology in the paranormal / edited by
J. Harold Ellens.
p. cm. — (Psychology, religion, and spirituality, ISSN 1546–8070)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978–0–275–99722–9 (set : alk. paper) — ISBN 978–0–275–99724–3
(v. 1 : alk. paper) — ISBN 978–0–275–99726–7 (v. 2 : alk. paper) —
ISBN 978–0–275–99728–1 (v. 3 : alk. paper)
1. Miracles. 2. Medicine—Religious aspects. 3. Religion and science.
4. Parapsychology—Religious aspects. I. Ellens, J. Harold, 1932–
BT97.M49 2008
202'.117—dc22 2008011269
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 2008 by J. Harold Ellens
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2008011269
ISBN: 978–0–275–99722–9 (set)
978–0–275–99724–3 (vol. 1)
978–0–275–99726–7 (vol. 2)
978–0–275–99728–1 (vol. 3)
ISSN: 1546–8070
First published in 2008
Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.greenwood.com
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
v
This work on miracles is dedicated
To Rebecca and Brenda
Because they work miracles of healing
Every day.
v
I wish to express intense gratitude and high esteem for the meticulous
and devoted labor of Beuna C. Carlson who read all the proofs with a
sharp eye and sturdy hand for ferreting out errors. Surely the devil is
in the details and she has mastered the devil.
v
Contents
VoluMe 1
religious and spiritual eVents
Series Foreword ix
Introduction by J. Harold Ellens xiii
chapter 1 Biblical Miracles and Psychological
Process: Jesus as Psychotherapist 1
J. Harold Ellens
chapter 2 Distorted Reality or Transitional Space?
Biblical Miracle Stories in
Psychoanalytic Perspective 15
Petri Merenlahti
chapter 3 Jesus and Miracles in Historical, Biblical,
and Psychological Perspective 36
Wayne G. Rollins
chapter 4 Miracles in the Old Testament 57
Antti Laato
chapter 5 Old Testament Figures as Miracle Workers 77
Erkki Koskenniemi
chapter 6 Moses’ Competition with Pharaoh’s Magicians 87
Andre LaCocque
v
v Contents
chapter 7 The Religious-Historical Background of the
New Testament Miracles 103
Erkki Koskenniemi
chapter 8 The Miracle of Christ’s Birth 117
John W. Miller
chapter 9 “That They May Believe”:
Distinguishing the Miraculous from
the Providential 135
Stephen J. Pullum
chapter 10 Through Signs and Wonders:
Religious Discourse and Miracle Narratives 159
Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi
chapter 11 Healing in the Gospels:
The Essential Credentials 186
Kamila Blessing
chapter 12 What We Can Learn from Miraculous
Healings and Cures 208
Patrick McNamara and Reka Szent-Imrey
chapter 13 Are Miracles Essential or Peripheral to
Faith Traditions? 221
Louis Hoffman and Katherine McGuire
chapter 14 Religious and Spiritual Miracle Events in
Real-Life Experience 241
Russ Llewellyn
chapter 15 How Religious or Spiritual Miracle
Events Happen Today 264
William P. Wilson
chapter 16 On the Limits of Scientific Investigation:
Miracles and Intercessory Prayer 280
Richard L. Gorsuch
Conclusion by J. Harold Ellens 301
Index 305
About the Editor and Advisers 313
About the Contributors 317