Belief In Miracles Research Articles

From Believing in Miracles to Contending for Miracles: A Response to Craig Keener

This article responds to Craig Keener’s opening article in a special issue, originating with a Holy Spirit Symposium, Center for the Study of the Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit Today, Biola University, October 27, 2023. Keener presents historical, theological, and philosophical reasons to accept intellectually that miracles are credible. My response shifts focus to three psychological and pastoral questions. First, given that many Christians do affirm belief in miracles, why do relatively few Christians—at least in the Global North—pray regularly, expectantly, and persistently for miraculous healing? Second, what are the costs of this gap between beliefs and practices? Third, how might more Christians move from believing in miracles to contending for miracles? I argue that it is insufficient for Christians to believe in the credibility of miracles; the church needs to make it a priority to contend for miracles.

Illness understanding and religiousness in patients with recurrent glioblastoma

Abstract Background Patients with glioblastoma (GBM) often have inaccurate perceptions of prognosis. Strong religious beliefs have been associated with limited illness understanding (IU) in patients with advanced cancer, but IU and religiousness have not been investigated in patients with GBM. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between religiousness and spirituality and IU in patients with GBM. Methods Patients enrolled in a prospective multicenter study of recurrent GBM (Coping with Glioblastoma, NCT02375841). Within one month of medical visits discussing MRI scans showing GBM progression, patients completed study surveys containing published measures of IU and religiousness. IU was compared between participants with moderate or high versus slight or no religiousness based on several patient-reported prompts using Fisher’s exact tests. Results Twenty-four patients completed surveys of religiousness and IU. IU was partial within our cohort. Fifteen participants (62.5%) acknowledged that their illness was terminal. Only 6 (25%) correctly acknowledged their prognosis (months). Eleven patients (46%) were moderately or very religious, while 9 (38%) were either slightly religious or not at all religious. High religiousness and spirituality were each associated with partial IU (P = .06 and P = .01, respectively). A belief that God could perform a miracle to cure them of cancer and a belief in sanctity through suffering were also each associated with partial IU. Conclusions This prospective study that suggests religiousness, including the belief in miracles and a belief in sanctification through suffering, might influence patients’ IU. Further research is warranted to study this association.

Role of belief in miracles in clinical settings – a literature review

Health professionals, in their daily clinical practice, are often faced with the verbalization of belief in miracles by patients and surrogates, in cases of serious diseases. Many of them consider the content of this belief in decision-making in terminal stages of the disease. However, this topic is little discussed in academic and scientific circles, together with a large gap in health training. The objective of this study is to understand the research scenario for the topic in question, how it has been approached in contemporary times, what perspectives and methodologies have been adopted in published studies, what results they have achieved, and to what extent they are or are not convergent or divergent each other in terms of implications for clinical practice. A literature review was carried out, using the descriptors: faith healing, delivery of health care, belief, miracle, clinical practice and divine cure, in Portuguese and English, in the VHL, PubMed, SciELO, PsycInfo databases. From a total of 2,369 articles initially found, 32 were selected, 14 of which resulted from empirical research, 13 were theoretical in nature and five were opinion-based. Twenty-three articles focused on the professional's perspective on the topic. In addition to the onesided nature of the studies, which tend to present only the perspectives of health professionals and neglect the experiences of patients and caregivers themselves in relation to the phenomenon of belief in miracles, it was observed that it tends to be stigmatized and interpreted as a mere denial of reality, with the potential to trigger conflicts between patients/surrogates and health professionals. It may be concluded that there is a need for more studies focusing on the genuine experiences of patients and surrogates, in order to support an epistemologically qualified clinical practice, for an understanding of the phenomenon of belief in miracles and its subjective and intersubjective impacts in clinical contexts and, consequently, consistent with a more comprehensive conception of physical and mental health

Miracles and Divination from Giulio Aleni’s Perspective

The growth of local Chinese Christian communities in the seventeenth century highlighted the importance of directly addressing the issue of miracles. For Giulio Aleni (1582–1649), the most respected Catholic missionary to China after Matteo Ricci, this issue presented two interrelated agendas: to criticize divination and to preach Christian miracles. Aleni’s empirical approach to refute divination as a feeble observational science seemed to contradict his belief in miracles. Focusing on how Aleni negotiated the tension between empirical inquiry and the ineffable and interpretive qualities of acts of faith, this study shows that Aleni’s robust empiricism can be justified and forms the basis for cross-cultural hermeneutics based on a two-tier theory of the truth.

Chabacano Legends: A Reflection of Zamboangueño’s Faith

The primary goal of this study is to recognize, examine, and comprehend the Zamboangueños' religious beliefs as they are portrayed in the Chabacano stories of Zamboanga City. The stories of fifteen (15) written legends taken from Teresita P. Semorlan's "Chabacano Legends" and Orlando B. Cuartocruz's "Zamboanga Chabacano Folk Literature" (1990) were analyzed using historical and sociological precedent (1984). According to the study's findings, there are seven different types of religious belief held by Zamboangueños, including historical and traditional religion, unwavering faith, common or human faith, strong faith, rooted faith, active faith, and belief in miracles or apparitions. To completely capture and comprehend the meaning and interpretation of various faiths, the researcher spoke with several locals. It was determined that Zamboangueños, irrespective of their religion, have unwavering confidence in God.

Policing Sati: Law, Order, and Spectacle in Postcolonial India

AbstractThis article explores the response of the postcolonial state to the question of widow immolation – sati. It demonstrates that the conversation on the practice of sati at the high point of Hindu law reform in the 1950s reflected the simultaneous pressures on the new democracy to establish rule of law while also accommodating the renewed reverence for tradition and religious custom in an independent nation state. Distinct from the colonial response to sati that treated women as either “helpless and pathetic” or “brave and valiant,” post-independence police records describe women committing sati mostly as “insane” or “not in their senses,” and yet chiefly responsible for their actions. The article contrasts administrative and parliamentary narratives of the crime. Local belief in miracles surrounding the performance of sati not only obscured the experience of the woman's suffering but also made collection of evidence in such a case particularly difficult. This rendered convictions of the abettors of such “painless suicide by insane women” weaker. Legal interventions in sati eventually prompted administrative responses to shift from emphasizing the “uncontrollability” of the spectacle to deeming the spectacle a necessary precondition in distinguishing a sati from suicide.

Praying for a Miracle Part II: Idiosyncrasies of Spirituality and Its Relations With Religious Expressions in Health.

As a continuation of the previous paper, Praying for a Miracle – Negative or Positive Impacts on Health Care, published in this research topic, this second paper aims at delving deeper into the same theme, but now from a simultaneously practical and conceptual approach. With that in mind, we revisit three theoretical models based on evidence, through which we can understand the role of a miracle in hospital settings and assess its impact in health contexts. For each of the models described, we seek to illustrate the possible outcomes of belief in miracles as a modality of religious coping in situations of stress and suffering experienced by patients and caregivers in the face of gloomy diagnoses on coming across the limits of medicine to revert certain illnesses (e.g., child cancer) or biological conditions (e.g., fetal malformation). We posit that the judgment about how such a mechanism is healthy or not for each of the people involved (patient, caregiver, and/or health professional) depends on the modulation between the conception of the miracle adopted by the patient and/or caregiver and the concrete outcomes of the way of responding to the situations that accompany the gravity of the illness or condition. To better understand this process of psychological modulation that accompanies belief in miracles, we revisit the concepts of spirituality, religiosity, and religion, pointing out the connections and distinctions between them from a phenomenological perspective. We then present a conceptual model that takes these connections and distinctions into consideration to foster an understanding of miracles, their relations with the diversity of experiences of people who meet in hospital settings (patients, caregivers, and health professionals), and their respective impacts on healthcare.

EASTER SHORT STORIES BY A. I. KUPRIN

Easter motifs permeate all of Kuprin's work and reflect the trends characteristic of the development of the Easter genre in Russian literature as a whole. Early short stories point to the crisis of the genre: “Bonze” contradicts the Easter canon; irony appears in the short stories “By order”, “My passport”, “Family style”, “Grass.” They contain mandatory elements of the genre: are timed to Easter, possess a special festive mood, tenderness and emotion, and display a spiritual renewal of the characters. In some of the short stories written in 1911–1916 (“Easter Eggs”, “Holy Lies”, “Daddy”) a comic component appears: satire intensifies, and irony turns into sarcasm. Traditional Easter plots seem banal, and therefore fake and feigned, resembling a parody of the genre. In exile, the writer again turns to the Easter genre: he writes “Moscow Easter” and “Easter Bells.” The author himself craves the enlightenment and transformation that Easter brings, creativity becomes salvation, bringing light and joy to the writer who is longing far from his homeland. Memories of childhood or youth become the basis of most Easter story plots. After all, a naive and sincere belief in miracles persists in children for a long time, they very keenly experience the joy that this holiday brings with it, while adults eventually lose this childish faith in miracles, and their life-drained, hardened souls become cold and still. Memories can be different, they are not always joyful or happy, but it is the experience of these memories, the immersion in the past that creates a special festive mood and promotes spiritual purification and transformation.

THE DE JURE OBJECTION AGAINST BELIEF IN MIRACLES

Alvin Plantinga (1993a, 1993b, 2000) argues that de jure objections to theism depend on de facto objections: in order to say that belief in God is not warranted, one should first assume that this belief is false. Assuming Plantinga’s epistemology and his de facto/de jure distinction, In this essay, I argue that to show that belief in miracles is not warranted, one must suppose that belief in miracles is always false. Therefore, a person who holds a skeptical position regarding miracles must choose either to find evidence that all of the supposed miracles are false, or admit that one is assuming an areligious commitment as a starting point.

The Reason for Miracles and the Miracles in Reason: Kant’s Practical Conception of Miracles

AbstractThe term ‘miracle’ generally refers to events that are not explicable by natural causes alone. Kant’s notion of miracles is usually understood along these lines. However, Kant’s occupation with miracles should be understood in a practical context. Belief in miracles plays a constitutive role in Kant’s philosophy of religion concerning the need to strengthen the will both before and after departing from original evil. I demonstrate how my argument sheds new light on Kant’s claim that theoretical reason precludes the possibility of material miracles.

The Call: Leo Strauss on Heidegger, Secularization, and Revelation

The Call: Leo Strauss on Heidegger, Secularization, and Revelation

For the Love of Alma, Black Hopes Matter.

For the Love of Alma, Black Hopes Matter.

"РИМ И КАРФАГЕН" А.В. ТИМОФЕЕВА: К ПРОБЛЕМЕ ГЕНЕЗИСА ИСТОРИЧЕСКОЙ ФАНТАЗИИ КАК ЖАНРОВОЙ РАЗНОВИДНОСТИ РУССКОЙ РОМАНТИЧЕСКОЙ ДРАМЫ XIX В

The paper explores the genre of scarcely studied play by Russian minor writer Alexei V. Timofeev (1812-1883) Rome and Carthage (1837). Timofeev’s contemporary literary critic Osip Senkovskii treated like poet’s failure his use of romantic techniques in the play on ancient plot. Taking into account this opinion the paper analyzes the paratextual elements in the play, the way of describing characters, the division of the play into acts, the connection of the plot events with historical facts. The paper argues that the play approaches the kind of romantic drama, which the author suggests to call “historical fantasy” Its main feature is the coexisting in the plot mythology and religious tradition, on the one hand, and historical events, on the other, the heroes of historical chronicles and the heroes of folk legends, belief in miracles and rationalism. The goal of historical fantasy is to produce a generalized image of the time, to convey the spirit of the epoch while the dramatic action takes a secondary place. Samples of the genre were given in the works of Alexander A. Shakhovskoi, Alexander I. Gertsen, Apollon N. Maikov. Timofeev’s play was just in the way to this kind of drama.

СВЯТЫЕ ИСТОЧНИКИ И НАРОДНАЯ РЕЛИГИОЗНОСТЬ ПРАВОСЛАВНОГО НАСЕЛЕНИЯ УРАЛА В 1954–1964 ГОДАХ

The tradition of attributing mythological and religious meanings to natural phenomena, the formation of a ritual culture associated with trees, stones, water sources, atmospheric phenomena, etc., refers to the most ancient sacred practices of human communities. This stimulated philosophical, cultural, and anthropological studies of this phenomenon in the context of Orthodox culture, aimed at identifying the relations between pagan and Christian symbols and rituals and analyzing the problem of dual faith among the Orthodox population of Russia. Historical studies of the manifestations of folk religiosity are still at the stage of generalizing empirical material. The subject of the article is a study of folk religious practices in the historical context of Khrushchev’s anti-religious campaign. The focus of the study is on the Orthodox traditions of venerating water sources. The specificity of the approach is the analysis of the elements of folk religiosity (using the example of the veneration of “holy sources”) as a manifestation of everyday practices of adaptation and survival of believers in the USSR. Despite the banishment of religion from public space in the era of Nikita Khrushchev, belief in miracles and miraculous healings and visits to holy places were common not only among Orthodox Soviet people, but also among those who were considered “atheists”. Regional features of folk religion in the Urals were the redefinition of holy places in the multi-ethnic space of the region and the use of water sources for folk medicine in an underdeveloped health care system. For certain categories of Soviet citizens (former priests, monks and nuns, marginalized elements, etc.), the sphere of folk religiosity was a space for the realization of subjectivity, different from the “normative” one. As a result of a comparative-historical approach, it is shown that the practices of venerating holy sources in the Urals fit into the all-union framework of the phenomenon.

ЧУДО: ОПОЗНАНИЕ, ОПИСАНИЕ, ОТНОШЕНИЕ

The idea of a miracle is the most important, and sometimes even the main component of religious cultures: “faith” and “miracle” in many cases are closely connected, and even identical. Unusual, amazing events leave an indelible imprint on the emotions and consciousness of the people involved and can be the basis for emerging beliefs. Belief in miracles, as well as miracles as the faith basis, is found in almost all the peoples of the world, although they are differently recognized, described and explained. What is a miracle, what is its mechanism, and how should it be treated?

Belief in the miracles of Lourdes: A voxel-based morphometry study.

BackgroundIt has been shown that particular religious beliefs and practices are associated with brain function and structure. The present voxel‐based morphometry study investigated the correlation between the belief in the miracles of Lourdes (a major Catholic pilgrimage site) and gray matter volume in specific brain regions associated with theory of mind (ToM).MethodStructural brain data from 84 women (mean age: 25 years; no current somatic illness; 80% Roman‐Catholic) were correlated with self‐report measures on belief in miracles, religious–spiritual well‐being, and psychological problems. Selected brain regions of the ToM network included the temporoparietal junction (TPJ), hippocampus, amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC).ResultsThe belief in the miracles of Lourdes was positively correlated with general religiousness and with feelings of connectedness; there was no association with psychological problems. Belief in miracles of Lourdes correlated positively with TPJ volume and negatively with MPFC volume.ConclusionBelief in the miracles was associated with brain volume in regions involved in mentalizing and self‐control.

An examination of Latino advanced cancer patients' and their informal caregivers' preferences for communication about advance care planning: A qualitative study.

Latino-advanced cancer patients engage in advance care planning (ACP) at lower rates than non-Latino patients. The goal of the present study was to understand patients' and caregivers' preferred methods of communicating about ACP. Patients and caregivers were interviewed about cultural, religious, and familial beliefs that influence engagement in ACP and preferences for ACP communication. Findings highlighted that Latino patients respect doctors' medical advice, prefer the involvement of family members in ACP discussions with doctors, hold optimistic religious beliefs (e.g., belief in miracles) that hinder ACP discussions, and prefer culturally competent approaches, such as using their native language, for learning how to discuss end-of-life (EoL) care preferences. Key cultural, religious, and familial beliefs and dynamics influence Latino engagement in ACP. Patients prefer a family-centered, physician informed approach to discussing ACP with consideration and incorporation of their religious medical beliefs about EoL care. Promising targets for improving the communication of and engagement in ACP include integrating cultural and religious beliefs in ACP discussions, providing information about ACP from the physician, involving family members in ACP discussions and decision-making, and giving instructions on how to engage in ACP discussions.

"My doctor says the cancer is worse, but I believe in miracles"-When religious belief in miracles diminishes the impact of news of cancer progression on change in prognostic understanding.

News of cancer progression is critical to setting accurate prognostic understanding, which guides patients' treatment decision making. This study examines whether religious belief in miracles modifies the effect of receiving news of cancer progression on change in prognostic understanding. In a multisite, prospective cohort study, 158 patients with advanced cancer, whom oncologists expected to die within 6months, were assessed before and after the visit at which scan results were discussed. Before the visit, religious belief in miracles was assessed; after the visit, patients indicated what scan results they had received (cancer was worse vs cancer was stable, better, or other). Before and after the visit, prognostic understanding was assessed, and a change score was computed. Approximately 78% of the participants (n=123) reported at least some belief in miracles, with almost half (n=73) endorsing the strongest possible belief. A significant interaction effect emerged between receiving news of cancer progression and belief in miracles in predicting change in prognostic understanding (b=-0.18, P=.04). Receiving news of cancer progression was associated with improvement in the accuracy of prognostic understanding among patients with weak belief in miracles (b=0.67, P=.007); however, among patients with moderate to strong belief in miracles, news of cancer progression was unrelated to change in prognostic understanding (b=0.08, P=.64). Religious belief in miracles was highly prevalent and diminished the impact of receiving news of cancer progression on prognostic understanding. Assessing patients' beliefs in miracles may help to optimize the effectiveness of "bad news" scan result discussions.

The Association of Surrogate Decision Makers' Religious and Spiritual Beliefs With End-of-Life Decisions

ContextAlthough religion and spirituality are important to surrogate decision makers, little is known about the role of religion in decision making regarding life-sustaining treatments. ObjectivesTo determine the relationships between dimensions of religion and spirituality and medical treatment decisions made by surrogates. MethodsThis prospective observational study enrolled patient/surrogate dyads from three hospitals in one metropolitan area. Eligible patients were 65 years or older and admitted to the medicine or medical intensive care services. Baseline surveys between hospital days 2 and 10 assessed seven dimensions of religion and spirituality. Chart reviews of the electronic medical record and regional health information exchange six months after enrollment identified the use of life-sustaining treatments and hospice for patients who died. ResultsThere were 291 patient/surrogate dyads. When adjusting for other religious dimensions, demographic, and illness factors, only surrogates' belief in miracles was significantly associated with a lower surrogate preference for do-not-resuscitate status (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.39; 95% CI 0.19, 0.78). Among patients who died, higher surrogate intrinsic religiosity was associated with lower patient receipt of life-sustaining treatments within the last 30 days (aOR 0.66; 95% CI 0.45, 0.97). Belief in miracles (aOR 0.30; 95% CI 0.10, 0.96) and higher intrinsic religiosity (aOR 0.70; 95% CI 0.53, 0.93) were associated with lower hospice utilization. ConclusionFew religious variables are associated with end-of-life preferences or treatment. Belief in miracles and intrinsic religiosity may affect treatment and should be identified and explored with surrogates by trained chaplains or other clinicians with appropriate training.

“God Is Able”: Miracles and Hope in Our African-American Patients: Challenges, Historical Perspective and the Way Forward (FR459)

•Recognize potential pitfalls and missed opportunities in responding to family members’ communication about their belief that God will perform a miracle and heal their loved one despite medical team’s belief that patient is at the end of life. Gain understanding of both sides of an interaction in which the clinician encounters a terminally ill African-American patient and family who are expecting a miracle; the clinician who feels frustrated and manipulated by the patient/family who are not facing the reality of impending death; the patient and family who feel their beliefs and culture are being entirely disregarded.•Describe the ongoing challenges and historical context which inform a belief in miracles and emphasis on hope for African Americans across the lifespan, including at the end of life. Gain insight into the concept of “hope and miracles” in the African-American community, from (1) A historical and cultural context and (2) In terms of how it plays out in serious illness.•Describe communication strategies which demonstrate respect, build trust, and reduce conflict in responding to family’s expression of a belief in miracles in the face of a patient’s poor prognosis. Gain insight into a communication method in which the patient and family’s values of hope and a miracle are respected by the clinician; and the resulting feelings of (a) the patient/family and (b) the clinician. End of life care in the U.S. has been rooted in values that represent the cultural and religious values of the white middle class. Yet what is perceived and promoted as beneficial for one group may not hold the same value for another groups, with a different frame of reference, value system and life experience. Lack of understanding of, and respect for, the cultural values of others often results in negative consequences for the patient and family. Patients and families whose beliefs and values are not understood or addressed, understandably feel disrespected and devalued, and have to make additional efforts to ensure that the goals of care they wish for themselves/ their loved ones, are followed. Palliative care clinicians often feel frustration when they see a terminally ill patient undergoing “needless” interventions/treatments. In the African-American community the importance of faith, spiritual beliefs and church are key components in understanding and coping with illness, and provide a framework within which treatment decisions are made. African-American families’ deep faith in God’s healing power, and the belief in hope, both of which directly impact goals of care and treatment preferences, are often misunderstood by clinicians. In this session, participants will gain an understanding into the central relevance of “hope and miracles” in the African-American community, from both a historical and cultural context, as well as how it plays out in serious illness. Illustrations will be provided of ineffective clinician-patient/family communication (resulting in the patient/family feeling disrespected and a frustrated clinical team), as well as positive communication. Take-home lessons for effective culturally-based communication and best practices are provided.