God and the Scientist: Exploring the Work of John Polkinghorne

by Fraser Watts, Christopher C. Knight (Editor)

Overview

This book presents a celebration, survey and critique of the theological work of arguably the most important and most widely-read contributor to the modern dialogue between science and theology: John Polkinghorne. Including a major survey by Polkinghorne himself of his life's work in theology, this book draws together contributors from among the most important voices in the science-theology dialogue today to focus on key aspects of Polkinghorne's work, with Polkinghorne providing responses. Anybody exploring contemporary aspects of the science-religion debate will find this book invaluable.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781409445708
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/28/2012
Series:	Routledge Science and Religion Series
Edition description:	1
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Fraser Watts is Starbridge Reader in Science and Religion, University of Cambridge, author and editor of numerous books on the science-religion dialogue; Christopher C.Knight is Executive Secretary of the International Society for Science and Religion, author of two books on the science-religion dialogue.

Table of Contents

1: Reflections of a Bottom-up Thinker; 2: John Polkinghorne on Three Scientist–Theologians; 3: Is Informational Causality Primary Causality? A Study of an Aspect of John Polkinghorne's Account of Divine Action; 4: Polkinghorne on Mathematics and Chaos Theory; 5: Queen Physics: How Much of the Globe is Painted Red?; 6: God and Time: A New Flowing Time Interpretation of Special Relativity and its Importance for Theology 1; 7: Cosmic If-statements; 8: Bishop Berkeley's Castle: John Polkinghorne on the Soul; 9: Theology and Scientific Cosmology; 10: Christian Hope in Dialogue with Natural Science: John Polkinghorne's Incorporation of Bottom-up Thinking into Eschatology; 11: Subtle and Supple: John Polkinghorne's Engagement with Reality; 12: On Revising Natural Theology: John Polkinghorne and the False Modesty of Liberal Theology; 13: John Polkinghorne's Kenotic Theology of Creation and its Implications for a Theory of Human Creativity; 14: Science-and-Theology from the Standpoint of Divine Kenosis; 15: Processes of Discovery in Science and Theology: Bottom-up Approach, Critical Realism and Interdisciplinary Inspiration; 16: Some Responses

Editorial Reviews

'The reader is immediately immersed in a rich dialogue (some of it academically philosophical), as they seek to express and make sense of the faith they share, and to respond, with generous respect, to the lifetime work of Polkinghorne.' Church Times '... a first class collection of essays... presents [Polkinghorne] as a creative theologian whose faith gives him the confidence to grapple with the issues science raises in very fruitful way.' The Church of England Newspaper 'In God and the Scientist, Watts and Knight have done a service to Polkinghorne but in so doing they’ve done a service to us all. They’ve not only introduced us to a scholar and person they highly esteem and deeply admire, they’ve introduced us to the subject he loves. A most fitting honor and tribute indeed.' Reviews in Science and Religion '... an engaging and stimulating book... [the writing] is lucid and of a high standard.' Journal of Theological Studies ’... draw[s] out recurrent themes in Polkinghorne’s work... It is a stimulating feature of this book that it shines light onto these important topics from several different perspectives. An important and valuable book...’ Modern Believing

From the Publisher