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Science and the Miraculous

How the Church Investigates the Supernatural

9781505116410
152 pages
St. Benedict Press LLC
Overview

It is no secret that the modern secular world denounces the existence of miracles. But the truth is plain and simple: miracles can (and do) happen, and science can prove it.

Some might say that belief in miracles is a thing of the past, relegated to a more credulous and superstitious age before humanity fully embraced the certainty and exactitude of scientific study. Renowned author Michael O'Neill, also known as the “Miracle Hunter,” is here to set the record straight.

According to O'Neill, true miracles are by definition rare, but still undoubtedly occur today. And in this present age of skepticism, where the worship of science and reason have pervaded the culture, the existence of the supernatural is to be appreciated now more than ever before.

Though it may come as a surprise to some, the Catholic Church actually turns to science to assist in the investigation and validation of claims of supernatural phenomena and miracles that appear to violate the laws of nature and our common human experience. Yet this should come as no shock to those who know the Church's pivotal role in scientific progress throughout the centuries, from Gregor Mendel, the father of the study of genetics, to Georges Lemaître, the developer of the “Big Bang Theory.”

The Science of Miracles takes readers through the Church's rigorous investigation of miraculous occurrences, including:

● healing miracles from life-threatening conditions;

● statues that exude human tears;

● Eucharistic hosts visually manifesting true flesh and true blood;

● visionaries who see the Virgin Mary in an ecstatic state;

● saints whose bodies lay in a state of perfect preservation for centuries;

● living people whose bodies are marked by the wounds of Christ's crucifixion;

● and more . . .

The Catholic Church employs a combination of strict, centuries-old criteria for evaluating proposed cases of miracles with the most modern methods of medical examination to arrive at explanations for the purportedly inexplicable. If natural causes can be attributed or if frauds and hoaxes can be exposed, the Church will uncover the truth. But if science can show that miracles can and do happen, what will you believe?

While belief in the supernatural ultimately requires faith, discover in this thorough investigation how science is a gift from God to aid our faith, and to educate our minds about the truths our heart already knows.

Author Bio
Michael O’Neill is an award-winning author, EWTN television and radio host, and creator of the popular miracle-tracking website, MiracleHunter.com. O’Neill, a graduate of Stanford University and member of the Mariological Society of America, has been interviewed about his research numerous times on networks like the History Channel and NatGeo and programs like NBC Today and The Dr. Oz Show. He was the consultant for the National Geographic magazine cover story and map about the Virgin Mary “The Most Powerful Woman in the World” (December 2015). He is the EWTN host of the weekly radio program “The Miracle Hunter®” and docuseries "They Might Be Saints" about the lives and intercessory miracles of future American saints.