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Birth
John Polkinghorne was born in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England on October 16th, 1930. -
Early Life
Polkinghorne was raised in a quietly devout Church of England family. His mathematical ability was evident as a youngster. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics (1952) as well as a master’s degree (1955) and a doctorate (1956) in quantum field theory from Trinity College, Cambridge. He was appointed lecturer in mathematical physics at the University of Edinburgh in 1956. He took the same position at Cambridge two years later and in 1968 was elevated to professor of mathematical physics. -
Doctorate
Polkinghorne received an additional doctorate in theoretical elementary particle physics from Trinity College in 1974. His creation of mathematical models to calculate the paths of quantum particles was recognized that year with his selection as a fellow of the Royal Society. -
New Direction in Life
John Polkinghorne decided that after 5 years of working on his research that he was going to resigned from his position. John started on his new journey on Theological studies at Westcott House in Cambridge. In 1982 John was ordained and was assigned to the parish in South Bristol. He became vicar of a parish in Blean in 1984 and two years later was appointed fellow, dean, and chaplain of Trinity Hall, Cambridge. -
John Work
In 1983 Polkinghorne published The Way the World Is, in which he explained how a thinking person can be a Christian. It was the first of several works on the relationship between science and religion. The Faith of a Physicist: Reflections of a Bottom-Up Thinker appeared in 1994 and Faith, Science and Understanding in 2000. -
Awarded
John in 2002 was awarded the Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research or Discoveries about Spiritual Realities. -
Later Work
Later publications exploring this fraught territory were The God of Hope and the End of the World (2002), Science and the Trinity: The Christian Encounter with Reality (2004), and Quantum Physics and Theology: An Unexpected Kinship (2007). He published an autobiography, From Physicist to Priest, in 2007. -
Video On why science and religion think differently
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Death
John Polkinghorne Died on March 9th, 2021 at the age of 90 in Cambridge, U.K.