Science and Creation: The Search for Understanding

Great book, but definitely for those with a foundation in science. If you don't have it, it will be a much slower read since he doesn't necessary explain what he is talking about. For those who are interested in theology and science, this will definitely peek your interest, though Polkinghorne does not shy away from poking holes in generic Christian ideas about science. A priest and a scientist, Polkinghorne pursues truths honestly and purely. He doesn't accept glib answers or shy away from tough subjects.

Polkinghorne talks about the theological and scientific paradigms by asking some very fundamental questions about how they relate to one another. Some of the questions he poses include what is the relationship between matter and mind, a subject I find extremely fascinating. How are the realms of "becoming" as we experience it and the world of "being" as he believes the way the world of physics describes it relate to God's involvement and the physical universe. How do the supposed insights of what he believes modern physics and the intertwining of order and disorder relate to the Christian doctrine of creation? These are some of the questions he asks and attempts to answer in this book. Notes at the end of the book, a bibliography and a subject index are most helpful.

Sir John Polkinghorne is an excellent author relating science to Christianity. Highly recommend this book as well as his others.

This volume, the second of a trilogy, begins where its predecessor, One World, left off - with natural theology. The author was formerly a professor of theoretical physics at Cambridge University but, since 1982, has been an Anglican priest. John Polkinghorne, KBE, FRS, admits quite honestly `I certainly cannot pretend to write as a professional theologian, but only as a scientist deeply interested in the understanding of religion.' As a scientist of considerably lower stature myself but also with an interest and some training in philosophy, to this extent I share a background with the author. The author says that `Theology cannot just be left to the theologians' because too often they ignore totally the findings of science and write as if their scriptures presented truth about the natural world. The remainder of this short book suggests how science can be used to provide evidence for the existence of the God of western religion.Chapter 2, Insightful Inquiry, suggests how science and theology share the common objective of gaining `a coherent and satisfying understanding of the world in which we live.' Polkinghorne suggests that the anthropic principle, as well as the fortuitous values of the natural constants in the universe pointed out by Paul Davies, form part of the evidence of a beneficent God. Chapter 3 on Order and Disorder expands on this theme. Rather than the meaningless interpretation of Nature given by Jacques Monod's "Chance and Necessity", Polkinghorne says that the potentiality inherent in the properties of matter `is so remarkable as to constitute an insight of design present in the structure of the world.'Chapter 4 on Creation and Creator takes us back to theology and Genesis. Refreshingly, in Chapter 5 on The Nature of Reality Polkinghorne adopts the stance that his interpretation of the world as a physicist and as a priest must be consistent. So many religious fundamentalists are happy to use their cars and telephones and undergo surgery, trusting in the validity of science and technology, but insist on rejecting scientific criticism of the Genesis story of Creation. Chapter 6 on Theological Science is an excellent discussion of the consistencies and conflicts between science and theology.This is a good introduction to the science and religion debate. It concludes with several pages of reference Notes, a Bibliography of further reading, and an Index.Howard Jones is the author of The Thoughtful Guide to God

Helped with some quotes for my philosophy & theology exam. Very quotable for any epistemology questions.

I bought this book to help my daughter with her Pre U philosophy course. Although I have a reasonable grasp of this subject and the different views I feel JCP has made this very difficult to read. Extensive use of unnecessary big words when simple ones would do. To be fair I am only halfway through but that is because it is a chore to pick it up, this should not be the case.Read in conjunction with other authors for a balanced view.

This is a terrific book. Sir John Polkinghorne is one of the best at packing so much power into small books. There is much for both the scientist and the theologian here, and no one does a better job at outlining the best relationship for them than Sir John Polkinghorne.