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Early Years & Education
John was born the third child to his parents, George and Dorothy, in Weston-super-Mare, England. Growing up, young John bounced around from school to school and even spent a little time being home schooled when his reading skills were sub-par. Eventually, he would end up attending Trinity College, Cambridge where he would graduate with a PhD in physics in 1955. -
Polkinghorne's greatest accomplishments
In 1997, John was actually knighted for his distinguished service to science, religion, learning and medical ethics. The years 2002 was also a very prominent year in Polkinghorne's life because he was awarded the prestigious Templeton prize but also became the founding president of the International Society for Science and Religion. -
Awards
Aside from a knighthood as being the founding president of a prominent organization, Polkinghorne has achieved many other awards during his life. He has received several honorary degrees from universities such as Kent, Exeter, Leicester, Durham, and Marquette. He is also an honorary fellow of St. Edmunds College, Cambridge. -
Major Contributions
John is best known for his position that God and evolution are "friends" rather than "enemies" and attempted to bridge the gap between the two worldviews. Throughout his life, John has written 31 books. Five of those relate to physics while the remaining 26 deal directly with the relationship between science and religion.