Meier, miracle and multiple attestation

Abstract

The use of criteria in historical Jesus research gives the enterprise an appearance of scientific objectivity that may be deceptive. A particular case in point is the use of multiple attestation to establish the near certainty that the historical Jesus was a healer and exorcist (as, for example, J.P. Meier argues). Logically, there is little reason why multiple attestation alone should indicate historical reliability, and there may not be as many useful independent sources for Jesus' miracles as Meier supposes. Jesus may well have been a healer and exorcist, but if so, this needs to be established on other grounds. © 2005 SAGE Publications.