-
Birth and Childhood
Born in Somerset, England, on the 16th of October, 1930, the third child of a family of three, Polkinghorne had one brother and one sister. In 1942, Polkinghorne's only and elder brother was killed in action while flying for the Royal Air Force during the Second World War (O'Connor & Robertson, 2008). -
Early Education
Polkinghorne's first introduction to religion was during primary school, wherein he attended a Quaker school after being privately schooled. He later attended the Perse School, a boarding and private school, where he remained until he attended college in 1949 (O'Connor & Robertson, 2008). -
Formal Education
In 1952, Polkinghorne completed his bachelors at Trinity College, Cambridge, and graduated as the "Senior Wrangler" - an accolade considered one of the highest, if not highest, British honor for mathematics for undergraduates. -
Christian Union
During his college years, Polkinghorne joined the Christian Union, an organization of the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship meant for students. -
Formal Education (Cont.)
Supervised by a Nobel Prize winner in physics, Doctor Mohammed Abdus Salam (pictured), and fundamental physicist Paul Dirac, Polkinghorne acquired his doctoral status in 1955 (Polkinghorne, 2008). -
Research History
For 25 years, Polkinghorne engaged in physics research and mathematical physics at the University of Edinbrugh, as well as at the University of California, Berkeley; Princeton University; University of Standford; and also conducted research at for non-institutions. During this period, he was accredited with helping to discover the quark, a type of elementary particle and develop the scattering matrix theory. -
Theorizing the Quark
In 1964, Polkinghorne was one of the researchers theorizing about the nature of elementary particles, which would ultimately result in the discovery of the quark and the award of the Nobel Prize in Physics to Murray Gell-Mann (pictured) (Csordas, et. al., 2007). -
Critical Realism and Dual Aspect Monism
Polkinghorne was based around "five principals", which he noted as "moments of enforced radical revision, a period of unresolved confusion, new synthesis and understanding, continued wrestling with unresolved problems, deeper implications" with regard to working in both science and theology (Polkinghorne, 2008). Despite regarding as body, mind, and soul, as operationally different, he notes they are ultimately one in the same (Polkinghorne, 2008). -
Critical Realism and Dual Aspect Monism (Cont.)
Dual aspect monism is a system wherein the difference elements of being are reflected as being perspectives of the same substance (Atmanspacher & Fuchs, 2014). In effect, everything is one but can be seen from different perspectives. According to Polkinghorne, his background as scientist and theologian gave him "binocular vision" into this reality (Polkinghorne, 2008). -
Shift to Priesthood
In 1977, Polkinghorne opted to conclude his venture into science and researching, and become an ordained priest (Polkinghorne, 2008). In his own words citing that his Christian beliefs were central to his science and that he had done "more than his share" for science (Polkinghorne, 2008). -
Critical Realism and Dual Aspect Monism (Cont.)
This philosophy and theology is congruent with what is understood about quantum mechanics and physics, such as with chaos theory's relationship to natural theology, such that it is a metatheory in some regards and serves as an explanatory method to bridge the gap between the immaterial and material. -
Theological Pursuit
From 1982 on, Polkinghorne served as a curate and vicar, then later the canon, and ultimately the dean of chapel at Trinity College and later in 1994, canon theologian at Liverpool Cathedral, and retired in 2005 (Polkinghorne, 2008). -
Death
On the 9th of March, 2021, Polkinghorne was announced as deceased with no cause of specific death listed, having died at the age of 91 years old.