Intervention, Divine

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INTERVENTION, DIVINE

The activity of God in a miraculous event. This does not mean that He enters a place in which He was absent, for He is always present in the whole of creation. A universe of self-sufficient laws being violated by an external, intervening power is, therefore, a mistaken conception of miracles.

Better understanding of scientific law and increased understanding of scriptural and patristic notions of miracle clarifies the meaning of divine intervention. God, whose presence makes possible the continuing miracle of creation, at times produces in a religious context an extraordinary event that acts as a sign inviting belief. To admit a Sovereign Creator is to admit the possibility of such intervention, although determining where it has actually occurred requires careful investigation pursued in a spirit of openness.

See Also: miracles (in the bible); miracles (theology of).

[g. moran]