Theissen and Merz, Guide, 310–13. They suggest (312) that perhaps there is a “supernatural” element within nature itself, a charisma present in many people and capable of being used benevolently or malevolently, “religious” explanations being socially determined (cf. Ashe, Miracles, 26–27). Other hypotheses may ultimately prove more viable, but Theissen and Merz at the least recognize the reality of the phenomena.
