Polkinghorne on science & theology - 1 John Polkinghorne on science & theology FIntroduction GIan Barbour’s 4 ways of relating science & religion [Religion and Science (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1997): chap. 4] 1. Conflict 2. Independence 3. Dialogue 4. Integration

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 2 John Polkinghorne on science & theology FChap. 1 - Fact or Opinion GThe popular view of scientific & theological knowledge Scientific knowledge / theological knowledge fact opinion hard soft rational faith realm of data & reason realm of feeling outer inner

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 3 John Polkinghorne on science & theology GProblems with this picture With respect to science –The notion of facts åAll facts are theory-laden –Polkinghorne defends critical realism with respect to scientific & theological knowledge

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 4 John Polkinghorne on science & theology With respect to theology –Like science, theology searches for truth Commonalities between science and theology –1. Both search for truth; neither can claim certainty (12)

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 5 John Polkinghorne on science & theology –2. Both deal with interpreted facts (data) (12) –3. Both are part of the human endeavor to understand (12)

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 6 John Polkinghorne on science & theology Another approach (not in Polkinghorne) –Testing theories in both science & theology use the same standards å1. Agreement with data å2. Coherence å3. Scope å4. Fertility

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 7 John Polkinghorne on science & theology Are differences of degree –Theory-ladenness of data –Importance of coherence –Element of trust (Polkinghorne 12) –Consequences

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 8 John Polkinghorne on science & theology A complete picture of reality requires both science and theology Polkinghorne’s main point in the above discussion: Theology is a genuine cognitive enterprise.

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 9 John Polkinghorne on science & theology GScience & theology can enrich each other (dialogue) How? –A case history: the emergence of science in the West affected by the theological notion of creation & of the God-world relationship

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 10 John Polkinghorne on science & theology –1. Expect the world to be orderly –2. World created freely by God –3. World is good and worthy of study –4. Creation is not divine

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 11 John Polkinghorne on science & theology FChap. 3 - What’s been Going on? GWhere does current cosmology, the Big Bang theory and the evolution of the cosmos, leave God? Exactly where he was before (37) Distinction between “creation” –as about beginnings –& about ordering & sustaining the universe at all times

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 12 John Polkinghorne on science & theology GPolkinghorne: The Jewish & Christian notions of creation are [or should be?] about the 2nd sense of creation. God is the ordainer & sustainer of all that is going on.

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 13 John Polkinghorne on science & theology GBut can’t all of this be explained by a combination of chance & necessity? (Jacques Monod, Chance and Necessity (NY: Vintage, 1972)). Polkinghorne: Explanations by chance & necessity (law) are entirely compatible with a providential God.

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 14 John Polkinghorne on science & theology Beginning with God’s attributes of faithfulness & love, Polkinghorne reasons as follows: –Faithfulness -- from this follows necessity, i.e., the regularity, law- like character of the universe.

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 15 John Polkinghorne on science & theology –Love -- from this follows chance; like children in relation to parents, God gives a degree of independence to persons. å“Chance is a sign of freedom, not blind purposelessness” (43).

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 16 John Polkinghorne on science & theology åThe universe makes itself to some degree within the limits of fine-tuned potentiality åCreation is a continuous process

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 17 John Polkinghorne on science & theology GThe problem of evil Polkinghorne proposes a freedom theodicy (but not a free-will theodicy) –Moral evil -- here Polkinghorne appeals to the traditional free-will defense (44-45).

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 18 John Polkinghorne on science & theology –Physical evil [natural evil] - God gives the universe a degree of autonomy & this carries with it physical evil--the “free process defense.” Cf. Magical world. åWhere was God in the Lisbon earthquake of 1755?

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 19 John Polkinghorne on science & theology åThe free-process of the physical world is closely tied to the free-will of humans.

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 20 John Polkinghorne on science & theology FChapter 4 - Reductionism GReductionism - the “nothing but” position (& reductionists are “nothing butters”) (51) GMost common form: Reduction of all to physics and chemistry GCf. Durkheim & Freud on religion

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 21 John Polkinghorne on science & theology GAntireductionism - there are emergent properties Consider consciousness & mind –Argument against reducing mind to physics & chemistry åAesthetic & moral & religious experience

Polkinghorne on science & theology - 22 John Polkinghorne on science & theology GPolkinghorne’s metaphysics Reality is multi-layered Some higher layers cannot be reduced to lower