Yet another factor that contributes to the salience of miracle stories in
human tradition is their emotional content. As we already discussed above
in section 4.6, empirical research demonstrated that if such elements are added
to a story, they increase the memorability of all details of the narrative (Cahill &
McGaugh, 1995; Laney et al., 2004). In miracle stories we can read about
people who are seriously ill and desperately seek healing (e.g., Mk 2:1–12),
parents who seek help for their sick or already dead children (e.g., Mk
1:21–43), as well as extreme (e.g., lameness, blindness), repulsive (e.g.,
“leprosy”), or spectacular (e.g.,“demoniacs”) symptoms and diseases. Many
of the vivid details in the stories are likely to elicit empathy, fear, and disgust,
which are archaic emotions (in terms of evolutionary history) and are trig-
gered quickly and automatically. Further, after such a start, miracle stories are
likely to evoke emotions of relief when difficulties are miraculously overcome
in the end.
In this section, we suggested that miracle stories spread for reasons that are
independent of actual magical practice. This does not mean, however, that
magic is completely independent of miracle. Repeated exposure to miracle
stories obviously familiarizes listeners with ideas and provides them with
narrative schemata and other means to make sense of them. Such stories
may be embedded into social and institutional contexts (ancestral tradition,
mythology) that enhance their credibility and significance. In this way, miracle
stories can provide cultural interpretation and positive feedback to the super-
stitious behavioral patterns that develop from a different background. Thus
the miracle stories recorded in the New Testament and other early Christian
writings could play an important role in the magical practice of the Christians.
The miracles of the apostles proved that one could legitimately (from a
theological point of view) and efficiently invoke God’s power (for example,
by calling Jesus’name) to perform healing and other acts of magic. They
offered an explanatory framework, according to which the Holy Spirit was a
more powerful parhedros than others in the cultural environment of Chris-
tians. Finally, they suggested a repertoire of magical manipulations, such as
Paul’s gestures when he resurrected Eutychus in Troas or the use of his aprons
that healed people in Ephesus. We will take a closer look at some aspects of
Paul’s Ephesian activity in Acts in section 6.6 below.
6.5 MIRACLE AND CULTUREBut can we ignore culture? Does it really not matter for our attraction to
miracles whether we live in the ancient Mediterranean or in the modern West?
Fortunately, empirical studies have been conducted that allow us a glimpse
Magic and Miracle 135