Belief in God in an Age of Science (The Terry Lectures Series) [Hardcover]

John Polkinghorne F.R.S. K.B.E. (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Terry Lectures Series | Publication Date: March 30, 1998

John Polkinghorne is a major figure in debates over the compatibility of science and religion. Internationally known as both a theoretical physicist and a theologian - the only ordained member of the Royal Society - Polkinghorne brings qualifications to his inquiry into the possibilities of believing in God in an age of science. In this book, the author focuses on the collegiality between science and theology, contending that these "intellectual cousins" are both concerned with interpreted experience and with the quest for truth about reality. He argues that scientific and theological inquiries are parallel. The book begins with a discussion of what belief in God can mean in our times. Polkinghorne explores a new natural theology and emphasizes the importance of moral and aesthetic experience and the human intuition of value and hope. In other chapters, he compares science's struggle to understand the nature of light with Christian theology's struggle to understand the nature of Christ. He addresses the question, Does God act in the physical world? And he extends his ideas about the role of chaos theory, surveys the prospects for future dialogue between scientific and theological thinkers, and defends a critical realist understanding of the activities of both disciplines. Polkinghorne concludes with a consideration of the nature of mathematical truths and the links between the complementary realities of physical and mental experience.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Belief in God in an Age of Science, by the renowned theoretical physicist and theologian John Polkinghorne (a fellow of Queen's College, Cambridge), collects a series of lectures exploring the compatibility of science and theology. Polkinghorne's most interesting argument is that the two disciplines, which he calls "intellectual cousins," exhibit "a common concern with the attainment of understanding through the search for motivated belief." He describes this common concern by comparing the scientific investigation into the nature of light that led to the quantum theory with the theological investigation of the nature of Christ's being that led to the Chalcedonian Creed. Polkinghorne's prose is lucid throughout, and his broadminded rigor persuades readers that "if reality is generously and adequately construed, then knowledge will be seen to be one; if rationality is generously and adequately construed, then science and theology will be seen as partners in a common quest for understanding." --Michael Joseph Gross --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In medieval times, theology was known as "the queen of the sciences." Not so today. A new dialog between religion and science has begun, however, and in that conversation Polkinghorne, theoretical physicist and Canon Theologian of Liverpool Cathedral, holds a special place. This accessible little book grew from the Terry Lectures the author gave at Yale in October 1996. Polkinghorne discusses new developments in the theology of nature, inquiries into divine purpose and human destiny, and explanations of how God works in the world. He explores prospects for future dialog and the pursuit of truth in the company of both science and theology. The possible rapprochement of scientific thinking and belief in God has been probed in numerous books recently, including Richard Swinburne's Is There a God? (Oxford Univ., 1996). Lay readers may find this discussion exciting but heady; can it be grounded in experience? Recommended for public and academic libraries.?John R. Leech, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 150 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 1ST edition (March 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300072945
• ISBN-13: 978-0300072945
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,032,730 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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81 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intellectually satisfying, January 6, 2001

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Fred101 (Murrysville, PA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Belief in God in an Age of Science (The Terry Lectures Series) (Paperback)

As a Christian with an undergraduate exposure to theology and a Ph.D. in physics (and a continuing interest in both), I am offended by the lack of intellectual integrity shown by so many authors who address science/theology issues. Whether from the "creationist" side (which seems to be the principal voice being heard from the Christian viewpoint) or the secular-humanist side (which has been the principal voice being heard from the scientific community) the "discussion" (if you can call it that) is all too often characterized by a circular kind of reasoning which begins with a particular world-view and then, by entertaining nothing but "evidence" congenial to that viewpoint, proceeds to arrive at the pre-held viewpoint as the only "logical" conclusion. Equally insidious are the "post modernists" and "subjectivists" who essentially question the point in seeking "truth" of any kind since they regard our perception of "reality" to be hopelessly distorted by our individual and societal agendas, or those who try to compartmentalize faith and reason as equally legitimate but incompatible activities -- as if the reality of faith is somehow different from the reality of the physical universe.

Polkinghorne is a refreshing change from this usual dismal discourse. If you are seeking confirmation that a first-rate scientific mind can exist in company with an unapologetically orthodox Christian faith, this book should do the trick. This is not to say that all readers will agree with all of Polkinghorne's stances. Those of the "Biblical literalist" stripe will undoubtedly be offended that Polkinghorne tolerates no traffic in the Creationist agenda. Secularists will be offended that Polkinghorne unabashedly holds that the revelation of God through scripture and the experience of the Church are expressions of a legitimate reality. Many Christians will be offended that Polkinghorne isn't dogmatic that the Christian faith has a "lock" on theological truth and that he is willing to accept that the other great world religions also have something to contribute to the dialogue. On the other hand, non-Christian religious may well be offended that Polkinghorne is not prepared to negotiate the truth of primary Christian doctrines, such as that of the incarnation. And anyone looking for a "light read" or pat answers will become quickly discouraged -- this is the kind of book you have to read carefully, with the brain fully engaged and open. The satisfaction comes not from achieving closure, but from being engaged with interesting and meaningful questions.

Polkinghorne skilfully and credibly notes how the insights and discoveries of modern physical science have, contrary to the expectations of the 19th century scientific community, become more, rather than less amicable to a theistic worldview. He regards this, not as "proof" of the latter, but rather as a demonstration of his principal thesis: that there is a cosmic reality in the search for which both science and theology are fellow travelers. Science, using tools of experiment and quantification seeks to comprehend the mechanism by which the universe operates. Theology, using the insights of revelation and experience seeks to understand the author of the mechanism and His ongoing purposes. But there is only one reality -- the reality of theology must ultimately be congruent with the reality of science, and vice versa.

Another prevailing theme is that a true seeker of truth must be prepared to accept the tentativeness of our current state of knowledge on any subject -- reality is complex, and our understanding will always be incomplete. At the same time, Polkinghorne believes passionately that reality is accessible to our intellect (which is in itself a pregnant truth to ponder) and he convincingly demonstrates how the journey of truth discovery (allowing for the occasional mis-step along the way) inevitably enlarges rather than overthrows the prior reality. Just as physicists were challenged in the early 20th century to integrate the new realities of relativity and quantum mechanics into the durably functional framework of classical Newtonian physics, so too the early Christian church was challenged to integrate the new reality of the risen Christ and the tangible activity of the Holy Spirit into the durable truth of traditional monotheistic Judaism, resulting ultimately in the Trinitarian formulation. In neither case was the new synthesis achieved by an instant and tidy process (or without controversy surviving even to the present), but this should not be perceived as an embarassment in either case, but rather as a testament to the integrity of the process -- "orthodoxy", whether in science or theology, is the end result of surviving controversy and challenge. In science, the hallmarks of an ultimately acceptable theory are not only that it encompasses all available information, but also that it is fruitful in suggesting new areas of insight, and also conforms to a certain aesthetic of "elegance". The requirements for achieving theological orthodoxy are, in fact, not all that different. Polkinghorne believes that, in both cases, the process does indeed help us to ever more closely apprehend the reality which is our objective.

Periodically, I have been fortunate to have encountered a book whose pages offered both insight and on-going intellectual challenge. This is one of those rare finds. I highly recommend this book for the serious inquirer.

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An honest opinion from a respected physicist, December 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Belief in God in an Age of Science (The Terry Lectures Series) (Hardcover)

I found Polkinghorne very honest. It is refreshing to see a physicist clearly identify the almost "religious" faith that some scientists (and atheists) have in their explanations for the origin of the universe. Allow me to paraphrase Polkinghorne on pages 8 and 9. "Moving up the scale of bold speculation, one might evoke notions of quantum cosmology which suggest that universes of various kinds are continually appearing, bubbling up as quantum fluctuations in some universal substrate. Speculation becomes even more rash and desperate...maybe the laws of nature themselves fluctuate, so that a vast portfolio of worlds rise and fall within a sea of seething chaos. It is time to consider the other alternative: that there is a divine purpose behind this fruitful universe."

Polkinghorne has not convinced me of the existence of a God, though he has made the "godless universe" alternative look almost as bogus as some of the world's religions. Call me a happy agnostic. I cannot be atheist after reading this book. This book, coupled with John Barrow's "Impossibility", leaves me with hope.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Accomplished Physicist / Theologian Addresses THE Issue, November 23, 2000

By 

Mark S Armstrong (Medina, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belief in God in an Age of Science (The Terry Lectures Series) (Paperback)

If you are interested in a shallow, simplistic and facile treatment of an extremely important question, you will have to look elsewhere. The same goes for those who approach the subject with a closed mind, whether they are fundamentalists or atheists. If you think you already know all the answers, this book will only annoy you.

However, if you've already spent some time studying this question, buy the book. Or if you are willing to hear from a gentle and thoughtful person who has the highest scientific and theological credentials, buy Polkinghorne's little book.

It's short, but it isn't a quick read. Polkinghorne assumes his audience has some knowledge of the points in question. You might read a few pages, put down the book and think about it for a few days. You might feel a need to learn more about a certain aspect of physics, evolution or even philosophy. You might even find yourself asking a friend, "Do you think God will remember everything about me after I've died, so that He can put me back together again? What is a soul anyways?" Then your friend will smile uncertainly and change the subject.

Right or wrong, Polkinghorne's ideas are reasonable, careful and thoughtful. Other physicists, more famous than Polkinghorne, have made pronouncements about God. They don't share Polkinghorne's expertise in theology. After reading his work, the difference is obvious.

Anyone interested in the interaction between science and religion should read this book.