A comparative study of the concept of miracle in the thought of Allameh Tabatabaei and Rudolf Bultmann

Heydarifard, Mohammad

doi:10.22034/hpi.2026.572939.1196

A comparative study of the concept of miracle in the thought of Allameh Tabatabaei and Rudolf Bultmann

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Mohammad Heydarifard

Faculty member of the Islamic Studies Department, Kermanshah University of Technology

10.22034/hpi.2026.572939.1196

Abstract

The issue of miracle is among the most important topics in the philosophy of religion and the interpretation of sacred texts, as it clarifies the boundary between reason, faith, and religious experience. In Islamic thought, ʿAllāmeh Ṭabāṭabāʾī, by integrating Ṣadrian philosophy with Qur’anic exegesis, regards miracles as objective realities consistent with the causal and wise order of existence. From his perspective, the natural world is one level within the hierarchy of being, and a miracle is not a violation of natural laws but the manifestation of divine will beyond material causes.

In contrast, Rudolf Bultmann—drawing on modern Protestant theology and existential hermeneutics—interprets miracles, within his theory of demythologization, not as actual events but as symbolic expressions of human faith. He argues that biblical language is mythological and must be reinterpreted through existential understanding. Consequently, religious truth is realized in inner faith rather than external natural change.

Using an analytical–comparative method, this study examines the ontological and epistemological foundations of both views regarding revelation, reason, and nature. The findings indicate that Ṭabāṭabāʾī harmonizes reason and revelation in explaining miracles, whereas Bultmann prioritizes faith, reducing miracles to meaning and language.

Keywords

Miracle Ontology

Causal Order of Being

Bultmann’s Demythologization

Relation of Reason and Revelation

Subjects

Comparative philosophy

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