Customer Reviews

Quantum Physics and Theology: An Unexpected Kinship

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In this slim well written volume Polkinghorne gives us a succinct comparison of the rational processes of inquiry required in both quantum physics and Chistian theology. As he says in his preface if you're looking for a book on quantum physics he has written a different work treating that subject specifically. He has also written elsewhere about his Christian faith and theology. This book's real value lies in its encouragement towards further reading.

Polkinghorne reaffirms his commitment to "critical realism" largely derived from Michael Polanyi. He then takes us on a fascinating journey of the intellectual history of quantum physics and theology. He draws a series of parallels in the two disciplines. Starting with a discussion of how science uses experience and understanding in the process of discovery he explains how the relationship between theory and experiment played a part in Einstein's development of the theory of relativity. That is paralleled by a discussion of how Christology is shaped by the historical record of Christ found in the Gospels. That supports his adoption of "bottom up" theology. This format is followed throughout the book - first discussing an aspect of the history of science and quantum physics followed with a history of some aspect of theology. Overall, this makes for some fascinating reading, if at times a little confusing as to exactly how these different histories are paralleled.

Some of the scientific subjects covered are: the development of relativity, quarks, atomic structure, waves and particles, quantum indeterminacy and quantum field theory. The theological subjects include Christology, the historical Jesus, the incarnation, the doctrine of two natures, doctrine of the Trinity, miracles and eschatology. Polkinghorne finishes up with a discussion of some human aspects of intellectual inquiry such as the role of genius, insight, imagination, thought experiments and how the choice of words influences conceptual formulation.

Polkinghorne's aim is to get scientists to appreciate the rational inquiry demanded of theological reflection and perhaps to do some reading in theology. Likewise, he encourages theologians to appreciate the intellectual rigor of scientific inquiry and to study science to see what that might add to their own theological formulations. I think this book succeeds in stimulating the reader in those directions.

This is an excellent resource illustrating how science and Christianity are NOT mutually exlusive. Polkinghorne is a physicist and a "hard science" person as opposed to Diarmuid O'Murchu (Quantum Theology) who is a "soft science" person.

Polkinghorne draws solid and substantiated paralells in the methods used by science and Christianity in their search for truth. This is much needed in our present culture where the constructed DUALISTIC split between science and religion prevails; that is, our culture tends to choose sides, EITHER science OR religion. Polkinghorne aptly illustrates that one can be both a scientist and a Priest as he is, or believe in science and religion.

The only complaint I have is that at times Polkinhorne's tone is a bit uppity bordering on condescending. What I refer to here is illustrated in the preface when he explains why he did not title his book "Quantum Theology." He slams it as "quantum hype" and says it is really just indulgence in "paradox." I moved easily past this dig, which I perceived to be against O'Murchu, Social Psychologist and author of QUANTUM THEOLOGY, because Polkinghorne is a "hard scientist."

That Polkinghorne is a "hard scientist" makes his work very methodical easy to follow, and the Christianity Science parallels unmistakable, even for the novice. That Polkinghorne is a priest probably lends to his openess to postmodern thought, that he is a physicist keeps him from "throwing the baby (scientific method) out with the bath water (some of the deification of science ineherent in much of modernity/enlightenment). I have never read a more clear and easy to follow book. This book is well worth the read and hopefully can lead to an even wider opening for the meeting of science and religion.

John Polkinghorne is one of the most complete theologians in the Anglican Communion - if not in the whole Christian Church. Using the Church's long established three way approach to understanding scripture, he reads his bible, considers,seriously, the history of its interpretation and thinks profoundly about what it all can mean. All though the essay uses complex issues im both physics and theology it provided me a major helping of food for thought. It is one of those texts that can be read again and again.

John Polkinghorne has written a book that will surprise and challenge many of its readers. In a neatly written and cogently argued case, he shows that there are many more similarities than one might have suspected between the goals and methods of the quantum physicist and those of the Christian theologian. He writes as an expert in both disciplines and his text is free of wild overstatement and contrived polemic. This is a book that charms and inspires and conveys a sense of authentic wonder at the astonishing creation of which we are a part.

John Polkinghorne has written many books combining ideas from his two areas of expertise: science and religion. In this small volume, he juxtaposes ideas from up to date quantum physics with some of the aspects of Christianity that seem baffling to many scientists. In doing so, he achieves his purpose of showing how critical realism can bridge these two seemingly opposed disciplines. But he also recommends a deeper study: "Perhaps this proferred hors d'oeuvre might encourage some to sit down to a more substantial meal."

With his characteristic precision, Polkinghorne sets out the difference between scientific and other types of inquiry: [the natural sciences] "enjoy possession of the secret weapon of experiment, the ability to put matters to the test, if necessary through repeated investigation of essentially the same set of impersonal circumstances. This enables science thoroughly to investigate a physical regime defined by a definite scale ... and to make an accurate map of it. ... By way of contrast, in all forms of subjective experience - whether aesthetic enjoyment, acts of moral decision, loving human relationships, or the transpersonal encounter with the sacred reality of God - events are unique and unrepeatable, and their valid interpretation depends ultimately upon a trusting acceptance rather than a testing analysis."

Polkinghorne uses a technique he calls "comparative heuristics" - basically the comparison of similarly constructed models as opposed to direct analogies. This enables the rationale to be evaluated regardless of the validity of a priori assumptions; thus Polkinghorne is able to address such a controversial topic as "miracles" without partisanship. "It does not make theological sense to suppose that God is a kind of show-off celestial conjurer, capriciously using divine power today to do something God did not think of doing yesterday and won't be bothered to do tomorrow. There must be a deep underlying consistency in divine action, but that requirement does not condemn the deity never to do anything radically new and unexpected." While miracles are the bęte noir of science, the same could be said of materialist dogma to a believer; the author gently illustrates this by reference to the way that novel thinking by Maxwell, Born and Schrödinger contributed to an innovative understanding of the "potentialities present in the unpicturable quantum state associated with the electron."

I commend this book to any scientist who thinks his discipline incompatible with theology and any believer who is interested in learning how the latest developments in physics fit alongside spirituality. My only reservation is that Polkinghorne's combination of wisdom with humility is addictive - a reader will be unable to stop at this book.

John Polkinhorne concedes that the existance of extra (space/time) dimensions is, as yet, unproven; what happens to our conciousness is also unproven in theology. He, nevertheless, offers sound logic that there must be a dynamic to perform transistion from this existance to the future. Since energy can neither be created nor destroyed it occurs that "super string" or no, some such dimensions are more than probable.

Joseph Taylor

What a wonderful little book!

This short little book is not the easiest read, but it is certainly manageable for anyone who has a basic familiarity with theology or science so long as they are willing to read slowly and carefully. The book juxtaposes two systems of inquiry designed to lead to a truthful description of reality. That theology is a discipline with rigorous controls and review and rules for inquiry seems to surprise many materialists, but it is a fact.

I have spent some time here at amazon and in the world dialoging with those who hold a materialistic view of the universe, and I am shocked at the level of disdain given to the disciplines of philosophy and theology. As the author of this book points out, the word "theological" is often used pejoratively to denote an unexamined or untested bias or belief. I too take umbrage with this usage, and I find myself wondering if the decline of traditional liberal education in the West marks the end of literate and competent discourse and debate in our society.

I am impressed by this book's economy, even while I was challenged by some of the vocabulary and concepts. I was relatively unfamiliar with the history of quantum physics, and I found this book very edifying as a result. The sections on Christology, the historicity of the resurrection, and the parallels between scientific and theological inquiry were concise, challenging, and largely convincing.

One point the author could have hit a little harder, in my opinion, is the history and philosophy of science, and why scientific inquiry of a high level is largely a product of Western Civilization. A belief in a God of love and reason who cannot, by His nature, be a deceiver, led Western man to engage in scientific inquiry, because their God was not capricious and made creation in a way that was understandable and knowable. When the University was founded in the Middle Ages, natural philosophy as a discipline was a natural outgrowth of this belief about God's nature, and is what led to the development of modern scientific method.

The author does point this out, but briefly, and a history of scientific inquiry in those early universities is far more rich than the author has time to allow for in this short book. However I think inclusion of the history of science during the middle ages and the Church's role in essentially inventing the university would have strengthened the author's thesis.

Still, this was a very powerful book, well reasoned and well argued. I could not recommend it more highly.

This book was a joy to read. It explains difficult ideas from both theology and physics in a very accessible way. In fact, as someone with a background in theology and a armature interest in physics, I found some of it almost too easy to read, but not boring. If you are thinking about reading this book, do it! You will not be put off by complex and difficult writing or explanations.

However, the point of the book is more than just making complex ideas accessible. Polkinghorne wants to point out the similarities between scientific inquiry and theological inquiry and he does this without overstating theology or discounting science. He gives both disciplines their due and fairly points out the limits and struggles of both. It won't convince the atheist scientist to believe in God. But it will help the open-minded scientist to develop a deeper respect for the rigor of theological inquiry (and a better understanding of why it has the limits it has) by showing that both science and theology share certain methods, difficulties and triumphs. Likewise, it will not convince the literal bible reader of the validity of the truths about the physical world that sciences has uncovered. But in the last chapter he suggests, in rough terms, a way of looking at evolution that can can lead to a compromise in that great debate. (It would be nice to see him flesh this out in a later book.)

To put it crudely, the goal of the book is to help scientific minded people to take theology more seriously by pointing out that the differences between science and theology are more in the subject matter than the method-- its rigor and logic. He does this by comparing examples from quantum physics to examples from theology. And he succeeds.

The book is easy to read even though the complexity of the theme it works. Polkinhorne explores the connections between science and religion, making his point clear and easy to understand.

Representing the Anglican denomination, Polkinghorne shows off his intellect heavily in this book.
A Great scientist that does a marvelous job citing how physics and theology can get along. This book is alot easier to read then his Age of Science book.

Polkinghorne excells at showing the homologies of science and Christianity. My favorite subjects of the book were the talks about quarks, and waves and particles, as well as the incarnation and Christology of Jesus.

Good mix up and great book overall.