Miracles by C.S. Lewis is a profound and intellectually rigorous defense of the possibility and reality of the miraculous within a Christian worldview. First published in 1947, this philosophical and theological work remains one of Lewiss most carefully reasoned books, addressing one of the most contested points in modern religious thought: can miracles happen in a universe seemingly governed by natural laws?
In this classic, Lewis contends that the modern rejection of miracles stems not from science itself, but from a philosophical commitment to naturalismthe belief that nature is all there is and that everything must be explained by impersonal laws. Lewis systematically dismantles this worldview, arguing instead for supernaturalism: the belief that reality includes both nature and something beyond itnamely, God.
With his trademark clarity and wit, Lewis begins by defining what a miracle is: not a violation of nature, but an event in which something outside nature intervenes within it. He insists that if God existsand Lewis gives careful philosophical arguments for Gods existencethen miracles are not only possible, but expected. A God who created the world is certainly capable of interacting with it.
Lewis doesnt stop at possibility. He proceeds to explore the theological significance of specific biblical miraclesmost notably, the Incarnation, which he calls the Grand Miracle. For Lewis, the coming of Christ is the central supernatural event of history, the moment when the Creator entered into His creation. Other miracles, such as healing the sick or turning water into wine, are seen as reflections or anticipations of Gods ultimate work of redemption.
While Lewis defends the credibility of miracles recorded in Scripture, he also examines the psychological and philosophical resistance to miracles in the modern mind. He engages with thinkers like David Hume and naturalistic skeptics, exposing the circular reasoning often involved in dismissing miracles outright.
Unlike a dry apologetic, Miracles is a thoughtful and even poetic exploration of the interface between the natural and the divine. Lewis invites readers to consider that the universe may be more enchanted than they thinkand that the Christian story offers a coherent, intellectually satisfying framework in which the miraculous is not only credible but central.
