Niewiarygodność supranaturalizmu Roberta A. Larmera

Marcin Walczak

doi:10.21697/spch.2025.61.A.08

Published: 2025-06-30

Vol. 61 No. 1 (2025)

The Unreliability of Larmer’s Supranaturalism

Marcin Walczak

Studia Philosophiae Christianae

Section: Papers

https://doi.org/10.21697/spch.2025.61.A.08

Abstract

This article provides a critical appraisal of Robert Larmer’s The Legitimacy of Miracle (2013, Polish edition 2022). This book is an attempt to justify the belief in miracles in the modern world and its intellectual context. In doing so, miracles are understood here as literal interventions of God in the course of events. Larmer argues that miracles understood in this way do not contradict the modern worldview as it emerges from the sciences. He also argues that many miracles are so well documented that the most rational approach is to accept them as real. Moreover, miracles confirm the veracity of theism, and indirectly also point to the authenticity of Christianity, as a faith that has at its origin a whole host of miracles that are well-documented, substantiated and announced by prophecies. Since Hume, the most popular objection against miracles understood in this way has been that accepting them would entail that the laws of nature do not work in certain situations. Larmer therefore devotes considerable attention to refuting this charge. Larmer’s views can be described as supranaturalism or interventionism. However, his overall argument does not seem convincing. The first part of this paper will outline the main theses of the book, while the second part will carry out a polemic against his take.

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Received: 9/06/2024. Reviewed: 16/09/2024. Accepted: 2/11/2024.

Keywords:

Robert A. Larmer, miracle, credibility, supranaturalism, interventionism, David Hume

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Walczak, M. (2025). The Unreliability of Larmer’s Supranaturalism. Studia Philosophiae Christianae, 61(1), 157–191. https://doi.org/10.21697/spch.2025.61.A.08

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