Maurice Wiles
Encyclopedia
Maurice Frank Wiles was a Regius Professor of Divinity
at Oxford University for 21 years, from 1970 to 1991.
and the laws of nature. In doing so Wiles rejects the possibility that God directly intervenes in the world and therefore rejects the existence of miracle
s.
Wiles accepts God as the sole creator of the world, yet believes he does not intervene in the world for a number of reasons. He believed we should not see God as playing an 'active role' but instead hold the belief that God
created the world as he wanted in its entirety:
"the world as a whole [is] a single act of God."
Therefore God would not undermine the natural laws that he created by intervening in the world. Wiles also argued that an omnibenevolent God would not perform such trivial miracle
s as those which are normally observed:
"...even so it would seem strange that no miraculous intervention prevented Auschwitz or Hiroshima
, while the purposes apparently forwarded by some of the miracles acclaimed in traditional Christian faith seem trivial by comparison."
Wiles concluded that either God acts arbitrarily (and is therefore not worthy of worship) or that he does not intervene at all.
However, the lack of miracle
s does not violate a belief in Christianity according to Wiles. Prayer
, for instance, still has purpose but should not be understood as causing God to take action. Instead it should be a way of enabling a group or individual to connect with God's will:
"[prayer] is the capacity to attain, however incompletely, some awareness of that intention."
Likewise, the miracle
s of the Bible
need not be rejected. Instead, they should be understood to have a symbolic role: to teach about God and faith
in Christianity
.
Regius Professor of Divinity
The Regius Professorship of Divinity is one of the oldest and most prestigious of the professorships at the University of Oxford and at the University of Cambridge.Both chairs were founded by Henry VIII...
at Oxford University for 21 years, from 1970 to 1991.
Miracles
In his work God's Action in the World, he discusses the notion of a world that is consistent with Christian theologyChristian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
and the laws of nature. In doing so Wiles rejects the possibility that God directly intervenes in the world and therefore rejects the existence of miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s.
Wiles accepts God as the sole creator of the world, yet believes he does not intervene in the world for a number of reasons. He believed we should not see God as playing an 'active role' but instead hold the belief that God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
created the world as he wanted in its entirety:
"the world as a whole [is] a single act of God."
Therefore God would not undermine the natural laws that he created by intervening in the world. Wiles also argued that an omnibenevolent God would not perform such trivial miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s as those which are normally observed:
"...even so it would seem strange that no miraculous intervention prevented Auschwitz or Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, while the purposes apparently forwarded by some of the miracles acclaimed in traditional Christian faith seem trivial by comparison."
Wiles concluded that either God acts arbitrarily (and is therefore not worthy of worship) or that he does not intervene at all.
However, the lack of miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s does not violate a belief in Christianity according to Wiles. Prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
, for instance, still has purpose but should not be understood as causing God to take action. Instead it should be a way of enabling a group or individual to connect with God's will:
"[prayer] is the capacity to attain, however incompletely, some awareness of that intention."
Likewise, the miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
need not be rejected. Instead, they should be understood to have a symbolic role: to teach about God and faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
in Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
Patristics
An expert in patristics as well as modern doctrine, Maurice Wiles was particularly interested in the development of doctrine and questions of orthodoxy and heresy. "The Making of Christian Doctrine" was a critical look at whether early doctrinal affirmations could remain valid when the framework of their intellectual background had shifted. Several of his works focused on(heresiarch) Arius and the history of Arianism, including "Archetypal Heresy. Arianism through the centuries".Sources
- Peter VardyPeter VardyPeter Vardy may refer to:* Peter Vardy , British academic, philosopher, theologian and author* Peter Vardy , British businessman in the retail automotive industry* Peter Vardy , former Australian rules footballer...
(August 2, 1999). The Puzzle of God - Maurice Wiles (1986). God's Action in the World