The Hypothesis of Undesigned Coincidences: A Critical Review

by Michael J. Alter; Evan Fales

Publisher:

Resource Publications

, 2024

Overview

The hypothesis of Undesigned Coincidences was first proposed by William Paley (1743-1805) and later popularized by J. J. Blunt (1794-1855). More recently, Lydia and Timothy McGrew have revived this hypothesis. McGrew defines an undesigned coincidence as “a significant connection between two or more accounts or texts that does not appear to have been planned by the individuals providing the accounts. Despite their apparent independence, the elements fit together like pieces of a puzzle.” Advocates use undesigned coincidences to argue that the Gospels are a compilation of independent and reliable sources. However, these advocates do not engage with biblical criticism and overlook relevant research on coincidences and casualness. The feeding of the five thousand is a prominent example discussed by proponents, who point to details such as the green grass, the location of Bethsaida, and the question posed by Jesus to Philip. These episodes are thoroughly reviewed and analyzed in The Hypothesis of Undesigned Coincidences.

Product Details

• Title: The Hypothesis of Undesigned Coincidences: A Critical Review
• Authors: Michael J. Alter, Evan Fales
• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Print Publication Date: 2024
• Logos Release Date: 2024
• Pages: 200
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBNs: 9798385234745, 9798385234721, 9798385234738
• Resource ID: LLS:9798385234745
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2025-04-23T00:23:02Z

About the Authors

Michael J. Alter taught for over forty years in Miami-Dade County. He has published thirteen texts, including The Resurrection and Its Apologetics (2024), The Name Israel (2023), Why the Torah Begins with the Letter Beit (1998), and What Is the Purpose of Creation: A Jewish Anthology (1991). The latter two were the main selection of the Jewish Book News. Alter also published The Resurrection: A Critical Inquiry (2015) and A Thematic Access-Oriented Bibliography of Jesus’s Resurrection (2020).