The Faith of a Physicist: Reflections of a Bottom-Up Thinker

223 Pages·2014·10.217 MB·English

by  John Polkinghorne

THE FAITH OF A PHYSICIST

THE FAITH
OF A
PHYSICIST
Reflections of a
Bottom-Up Thinker
THE GIFFORD LECTURES
FOR 1993—4
John Polkinghorne
Princeton University Press
Princeton, New Jersey
Copyright (G) 1994 by John Polkinghorne
Published in the United States of Amcric a
by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street,
Princeton, New Jersey 08 540
Published in Great Britain b y the
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge,
Holy Trinity Church,
Marylebone Road,
London NW1 4DU
Unless otherwise stated, biblical quotations are from the Revised
Standard Version of the Bible, © 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the
Division of Christian Education of the National Council o f Churches of
Christ in the USA, and are used by permission.
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Polkinghorne, J. C., 1930-
The faith of a physicist: reflections of a bottom-up thinker:
the Gifford lectures for 1993—4 / John Polkinghorne.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-691-03620-9 (alk. paper)
1. Nicene Creed. 2. Natural theology. 3 . Faith and reason—Christianity
I. Title. II. Title: Gifford lectures.
BT999.P65 1994
238M42—dc20 93-41071
Printed in Great Britain
1 3 5 79 10 8 6 42
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY PAIR
01 25229848
To Ruth

There is an intellectual desire, an eros of the mind.
Without it there would arise no questioning, no
inquiry, no wonder.
Bernard Lonergan
There can be . . . no thought about any reality about
which we can do nothing but think.
Austin Farrer
True respect for the mystery [of the incarnation] can
express itself, among other ways, just in the attempt
to understand it fully.
Wolfhart Pannenberg
For it is the God who said, 'Let light shine out of
darkness,' who has shone in our hearts to give the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Christ.
2 Cor. 4.6

Contents
Acknowledgements χ
Introduction 1
1 Humanity 9
'We believe . . .'
2 Knowledge 30
'We believe . .
3 Divinity 52
'One God the Father Almightv'
4 Creation 71
'Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen'
5 Jesus 88
'One Lord, Jesus Christ'
6 Crucifixion and Resurrection 106
'For our sakes he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death
and was buried. On the third day he rose again . . .'
'he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father'
7 Son of God 124
'The onlv Son of God, eternallv begotten of the Father, God from God,
Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father'
'he became incarnate of the Virgin Man· and was made man'
8 The Spirit and the Church 146
'The Holv Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, . . . with the Father and the Son
he is worshipped and glorified'
'he has spoken through the prophets'
'We believe in one holv, catholic and apostolic Church'
9 Eschatology 162
'We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come'
10 Alternatives 176
Epilogue 193
Glossary 19 5
Bibliography 200
Index 207