Thaumatology
thau·ma·tol·o·gy
n. pl. thau·ma·tol·o·gies
1. The study of miracles.
2. A discourse on miracles.
[Greek thauma, thaumat-, wonder + -logy.]
“Only miracles make everyday life bearable” wrote the Swiss author Max Frisch and I am begining to suspect he may be correct.
One thing that always struck me on the subject of religion, even a grade school student, was that the religious world seemed so much more interesting "back in the day" where you might trip over a Burning Bush , or be swept away in a global flood , or wrestle an angel .
So, is it as the natural skeptic might say, that maybe you can't that stuff too literally? Or perhaps maybe the modern era is just dull and bland? Or perhaps is there another possibility, which is that miracles occur, but do so in a very unassuming way, that are oh so easily overlooked? Certainly there are proponents of that view... Such as those writing this article Life in an age of miracles.
My intent is to use this forum to explore this idea some (along with some of the usual anecdotes of everyday life I suppose). Many of my friends and acquaintances are not particularly religious people, at least not in the traditional sense, although many of them embrace beliefs in spirituality, or magic, or astrology, and other such things. In fact, I am partly inspired by jasonsmonkey and his spsghosthunters for investigations of the paranormal.
Of course, the number of 'miracle claims' is apparently high enough that it is the butt of many a joke, yet there are at least some claims that are deemed worthy of investigation, although unfortunately scant on details.
At any rate, it should be at least somewhat interesting, and with luck, enlightening.
n. pl. thau·ma·tol·o·gies
1. The study of miracles.
2. A discourse on miracles.
[Greek thauma, thaumat-, wonder + -logy.]
“Only miracles make everyday life bearable” wrote the Swiss author Max Frisch and I am begining to suspect he may be correct.
One thing that always struck me on the subject of religion, even a grade school student, was that the religious world seemed so much more interesting "back in the day" where you might trip over a Burning Bush , or be swept away in a global flood , or wrestle an angel .
So, is it as the natural skeptic might say, that maybe you can't that stuff too literally? Or perhaps maybe the modern era is just dull and bland? Or perhaps is there another possibility, which is that miracles occur, but do so in a very unassuming way, that are oh so easily overlooked? Certainly there are proponents of that view... Such as those writing this article Life in an age of miracles.
My intent is to use this forum to explore this idea some (along with some of the usual anecdotes of everyday life I suppose). Many of my friends and acquaintances are not particularly religious people, at least not in the traditional sense, although many of them embrace beliefs in spirituality, or magic, or astrology, and other such things. In fact, I am partly inspired by jasonsmonkey and his spsghosthunters for investigations of the paranormal.
Of course, the number of 'miracle claims' is apparently high enough that it is the butt of many a joke, yet there are at least some claims that are deemed worthy of investigation, although unfortunately scant on details.
At any rate, it should be at least somewhat interesting, and with luck, enlightening.