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Birth
Born in Weston-Super-Mare, United Kingdom. "Particle physicist turned Anglican priest and theologian Reverend Dr John Polkinghorne," (McLeishi, 2021), was a prolific scientist and writer. Dr. Polkinghorne was the author of five books on physics and twenty-six on the relationship between science and religion, (Metaxas, 2011). -
Major Works
Polkinghorne, J. (1998). Belief in god in an age of science. Yale University Press.
Polkinghorne, J. (2000). Faith, science, and understanding. Yale University Press.
Polkinghorne, J. (2002). The God of hope and the end of the world. Yale University Press.
Polkinghorne, J. (2009). Theology in the context of science. Yale University Press.
Polkinghorne, J. (2007). Quantum physics and theology an unexpected kinship. Yale University Press. -
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Professor at Cambridge University
Dr. Polkinghorne taught mathematical physics for 11 years. "During his tenure, he and his team provided some of the mathematical foundations for important issues in particle physics, such as S-matrix theory, scattering amplitudes at high energy, and deep inelastic scattering... His work got him elected as a fellow of the Royal Society, a very high honor in Great Britain," (Rolnick, 2021). -
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Seminary and Priesthood
Polkinghorne left the university in 1979 to enroll in seminary and became an ordained Anglican priest in 1982 (Rolnick, 2021). Polkinghorne brings a very important view into religion as a physicist/scientist that he summarizes the, "he is one of a small band of ‘scientist-theologians’ and contributes as a ‘bottom-up thinker,’" while then incorporating a theistic "top-down causation" argument for God (McLeish, 2021). -
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President of Queens' College
Polkinghorne was made president of the Queens' college where he remained for seven years before retiring (Rolnick, 2021). -
Knighthood
Sir Polkinghorne was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. -
Awarded the Templeton Prize
"In 2002, he was awarded the Templeton Prize, which, according to the Templeton Foundation, 'honors individuals whose exemplary achievements advance Sir John Templeton’s philanthropic vision: harnessing the power of the sciences to explore the deepest questions of the universe and humankind’s place and purpose within it,'" (Rolnick, 2021). -
Interview with Closer to Truth
https://youtu.be/C-RBaGLtjEc As a theist, Reverend Polkinghorne seems to best understand the relationship between humans, nature, and deity. This short section of a larger interview gives us him paraphrasing his understanding of the relationship of the aforementioned trinity. I am definitely going to reference his work in my research paper as he is a man on the theistic side of my position who would probably agree with what I am trying to say, while also expressing it better than I. -
Death
Recently past at the age of 90 in Cambridge, United Kingdom, home of the multitude of universities where he spent many years working. Reverend Polkinghorne's legacy will be his ability to take real science, that keeps progressing, and explain God's continued influence in nature. His books do not try to explain away scientific discovery, but to explain the these new theories to the masses while providing a theistic explanation at the fringe of the theories where the "why" still remains. -
References
McLeish, T. CB. (2021). Remembering John Polkinghorne: a vision of one world, and one culture. Theology, 124(5), 324–331. Metaxas, E., ed. (2011). Life, God, and other small topics: conversation from Socrates in the city. New York: Plume. Rolnick, J. (2021). In Memoriam: John Polkinghorne—A Life Well Lived. Logos (Saint Paul, Minn.), 24(4), 21–26.