John Henry Newman on Miracles and Skepticism

Abstract

In his sermon—“Miracles no Remedy for Unbelief” (2 May 1830)—Newman warned his audience that the lack of miracles often serves as an excuse for the true cause of unbelief: hardening the heart against the grace of God. What his audience presumably did not know was that Newman’s sermon reiterated an extended disagreement with his brother, Charles Robert Newman. Both the sermon and the sibling struggle over faith versus unbelief still provide enduring lessons for contemporary readers.