In order to preserve contemporary understandings of the sciences, many figures of the Divine Action Project (DAP) held that God could never violate or suspend a law of nature, causing the marginalization of miracles from scholarly theology–science dialogue. In the first substantive entry of interreligious dialogue on the topic, this book provides fresh, contemporary accounts of Said Nursi and Thomas Aquinas on miracles and science, challenges contemporary noninterventionist presuppositions, and explores rich, untapped avenues in the theology, metaphysics, and epistemology of miracles and laws of science. Through an exploration of Nursi’s Ash’arite, Quranic interpretation of the sciences, and St. Thomas’s neglected doctrine of obediential potency, this volume marshals powerful tools from the world’s two largest religions to elucidate the foundations of God’s interaction with creatures. As well as contributing to the contemporary debate, this volume provides Muslim and Christian readers alike substantive intellectual frameworks in which to think about the sciences from the heart of their own intellectual traditions, while at the same time giving them as alternatives to mainstream contemporary approaches for scientists and other readers engaged in theology–science dialogue.

From their founding in 1540 to this day, Jesuits have been controversial. Their centuries of missionary work have taken them to all corners of the world. They have been accused of killing Kings and Presidents and contributing to colonization and destruction of cultures—even participating in enslavement. But the Jesuits have also been seen as bringers of light and education. With their ferocity of purpose and intellectual rigor, the Jesuits’ impact on world history cannot be ignored. No surprise then, that Jesuits appear in literature, especially that literature of ideas, exploration, and social commentary, otherwise known as science fiction. This unique collection of essays explores how the Jesuit has long been part of science fiction’s history and how Jesuit ideas and characters are featured in some of science fiction’s greatest works. In this collection, we see Jesuits continue their missionary spirit as they take leave of the earth, moving their missionary labors literally towards the heavens. Reason and revelation are now indeed on other worlds. In this collection, we have explorations of philosophy, science, theology, and culture, all done in typical Jesuit fashion, always in various and foreign contexts. This collection is akin to others in its linking of religion and science fiction, but it is unique in its concentration on the Jesuits and science fiction. This collection will be of interest to scholars working and researching in the field of science fiction studies and would be suitable for courses on science fiction. But it will also be of interest and accessible to those of us who simply love science fiction for its power to explore other worlds and, in this case, to take some of the deepest human reflections, namely those on God, morals and culture, lift them up, and see what forms they may take on other worlds.

While prophethood is the backbone of the Islamic tradition and an uncompromised tenet of faith, the impact of modernity with its ambivalent status afforded to the prophet and institution of prophethood shook many Muslim scholars. Through analysis of these modern debates on prophethood in Islam, this book situates Muhammad Iqbal’s (1877–1938) and Said Nursi’s (1877–1960) discourses within it and assesses their implications on the modern period. This book introduces the "what, who and how" of the prophets in the Islamic tradition. It unveils the rich Islamic literature of both the classical and modern periods and analyses the construction of their philosophies and theologies. Concise in both historical and textual analyses, this book makes an important contribution to our understanding of contemporary debates on prophecy and prophethood in Islam and will be of great interest to postgraduate students and researchers of Islam, religious studies, medieval studies and contemporary studies of Islam and religion.

God, Life, and the Cosmos: Christian and Islamic Perspectives is the first book in which Christian and Muslim scholars explore the frontiers of science-religion discourse. Leading international scholars present new work on key issues in science and religion from Christian and Islamic perspectives. Following an introduction by the editors, the book is divided into three sections: the first explores the philosophical issues in science-religion discourse; the second examines cosmology; the third analyses the issues surrounding bioethics. One of the first books to explore aspects of science-religion discourse from the perspective of two religious traditions, God, Life, and the Cosmos opens up new vistas to all interested in science and religion, and those exploring contemporary issues in Christianity and Islam.

In this volume, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi offers his insight on matters of belief. Using convincing arguments, he explains that affirmation of faith is much easier than denial, for a single indication is enough for the former whereas an exhaustive investigation of the entire cosmos and throughout all times is necessary for the latter.

Miracles are extraordinary facts or events that happen through divine intervention. They strike instantaneous fear, awe, and admiration. They are not meant for entertainment as the mad King Herod wanted them from Jesus. Neither were they for the amusement of Satan who tried to tempt Jesus to turn stone into bread. The extraordinary, awesome character of miracles is meant by God to attract man's curiosity to hear what He wants him or her to know or need to know for his salvation. That's divine psychology -- very much like what scholastics used to teach: learning starts with the senses. Remember how Moses' curiosity was excited by the burning bush that preceded God's message: go seek Pharaoh to let God's chosen People go? Indeed, once man's attention is engaged, God reveals His message -- a salvation-related message. Miracles are God's ways of communicating what He wants people to know and live by to attain the purpose of their existence. Citing extraordinary events in the Old Testament and the prodigious works of Christ, the Apostles, and the Saints, "Handbook of Miracles" defines miracles as conveyors of God's messages of salvation. Every true miracle is salvation-ordained. Miracles were among Christ's manners by which He revealed a way of life that leads people to eternal happiness. By the miracle of His resurrection, for instance, Christ reveals He is the Son of God sent by the Father to redeem mankind from sin. The book further explains the nature of miracles from philosophy and theology. From eternity, we read, the Creator determined what everything in His creation can or cannot do. God's creation includes angels, who are pure spirits, and humans, who are made of spirit and matter. He created the universe and everything in it: physical objects, time and movement, any conceivable and inconceivable energy and potency embedded in them. The sum total of His creation and everything in it is what we come to know as nature. Nature is finite; it has limits. Only God is infinite; He is limitless. He can do what He wills to do-- can make any creature do what is beyond what He determined it can or cannot do. And when that happens, miracle occurs. The author also explains scripturally and theologically how Mary's conception of Jesus and His birth are miracles; so are Mary's immaculate conception and assumption to heaven. The conversions of St. Peter and St. Paul are also discussed as internal miracles, as explained by St. Thomas Aquinas. "Handbook of Miracles" notes that since people live in space and time that continually change, God makes miracles to happen in different times and various places; thus, miracles happen in every generation and in various places of the world. The messages conveyed by the Saints' miracles -- together with their holy lives -- model and explain for their generation and generations after them the way of life taught by Christ. This book attempts to spell out the meaning of each of the Saints' miracles, but also invites readers to meditate on the miracles' significance as applicable to every reader's personal life. The "Handbook" discusses the various miracles wrought by God through the Saints who, because of their holy lives, their unwavering faith and heroic love of God and neighbor, became conduits of God's power and mercy. Accordingly, one or the other Saint raised the dead back to life, cured the sick, multiplied food, read minds and prophesied, received the gift of tongues, defied the enemies of God and laws of nature, levitated and shone like the sun. And each of these miracles conveyed a divine message of salvation. Citing the Scriptures, the author cites conditions by which miracles can happen to anybody: unwavering faith, coupled with love, according to St. Paul "If I have faith so as to remove mountains, yet do not have love, I am nothing" (1 Cor 13, 2-3). Perseverance (Lk 18, 37-41). Resignation to God's will by which we ask God's will be done (Lk

A study of some of the most famous accepted miracles from biblical times to the present.