Quantum Theology

From black holes to holograms, from relativity theory to the discovery of quarks, an original exposition of quantum theory tht unravels profound theological questions

Despite the differences of their subject matter, science and theology have a cousinly relationship, John Polkinghorne contends in his latest thought-provoking book. From his unique perspective as both theoretical physicist and Anglican priest, Polkinghorne considers aspects of quantum physics and theology and demonstrates that the two truth-seeking enterprises are engaged in analogous rational techniques of inquiry. His exploration of the deep connections between science and theology shows with new clarity a common kinship in the search for truth. The author identifies and explores key similarities in quantum physics and Christology. Among the many parallels he identifies are patterns of historical development in quantum physics and in Christology; wrestling with perplexities such as quantum interpretation and the problem of evil; and the drive for an overarching view in the Grand Unified Theories of physics and in Trinitarian theology. Both theology and science are propelled by a desire to understand the world through experienced reality, and Polkinghorne explains that their viewpoints are by no means mutually exclusive.

Argues that the discoveries of twentieth-century physics--relativity and the quantum theory--demand a radical reformulation of the fundamentals of reality and a way of thinking, that is closer to mysticism than materialism.

From black holes to holograms, from relativity theory to the discovery of quarks, Quantum Theology is an original exposition of quantum theory that unravels profound theological questions. Not simply a dialogue between science and religion, this "path-breaking work" (Values and Vision) is a bold exploration of divine creativity as seen through the lens of quantum theory, one of the most brilliant advances of our time. This new edition includes reflection questions for groups, as well as updates to reflect recent developments in science. Book jacket.

Quantum theory has shaken our understanding of the universe to its deepest foundations. Quantum theory raises deep and profound scientific, philosophical and theological issues. Consider several scientific issues: Is quantum indeterminism ontological (a reflection of reality) or epistemological (a reflection of human ignorance)? Does the universe have a place for chance? What is the famous Bohr-Einstein debate? Who won? What is Schrödinger’s famous cat and what does it teach us? Some philosophical issues: How do our metaphysical commitments affect the interpretation of quantum theory? How, given quantum theory, should we understand the laws of nature? What are the implications of quantum theory for the traditional metaphysics and epistemologies of, for example, Kant, Leibniz and Spinoza? Finally, what are the implications of this revolutionary theory for theology? Is it possible to construct a natural theology -a case for God based on nature- given quantum theory? Is “Divine action” possible given quantum uncertainties? Are there implications for the ongoing debates about miracles, free will and the problem of evil? This book, which seeks to answer these and many other questions, is highly recommended for those who value understanding quantum theory from and for philosophical and theological perspectives.

Quantum Leap uses key events in the life of Polkinghorne to introduce the central ideas that make science and religion such a fascinating field of investigation. Sir John Polkinghorne is a British particle physicist who, after 25 years of research and discovery in academia, resigned his post to become an Anglican priest and theologian. He was a professor of mathematical physics at Cambridge University, and was elected to the Royal Society in 1974. As a physicist he participated in the research that led to the discovery of the quark, the smallest known particle. This cheerful biography-cum-appraisal of his life and work uses Polkinghorne's story to approach some of the most important questions: a scientist's view of God; why we pray, and what we expect; does the universe have a point?; moral and scientific laws; what happens next?

"From the electron microscope to the Hubble space telescope, modern technological advances have broadened our horizons - macroscopic and microscopic - beyond anything imaginable prior to the 1930s. One of the most important discoveries of the past few decades is the fact that everything, beginning with subatomic particles and including star systems and conscious human life, emerges from an underlying, transcendent Reality that brings all things from nonexistence into being through a continuous act of creation. All things are essentially interconnected in an entangled unity, which obliges us to view the world as a great hologram in which every aspect contains information of the Whole. This book raises the question of the relationship between that Reality and the Christian understanding of God. Written in the form of a simple novel, it begins by offering an overview, in lay terms, of quantum theory as it has developed since the early twentieth century. Gradually it lays the groundwork for an exploration of the relationship between quantum mechanics and certain key aspects of traditional Christian teaching. Its aim is to make clear that our usual conception of God and the world, in the words of the English theologian J.B. Phillips, is far 'too small.' With the help of insights drawn from quantum theory, we can now see that Creation is more intricate, more interconnected and more beautiful than our forebears could ever have imagined."--Publisher.

QUANTUM RELIGION, Enlarging from the Inside-Out These times are scary but also hope-filled scary because of degraded nature, but hope-filled because global religion is coming to new self-understanding. In a word, religion means relationship; good news is experienced in relationships. Life itself is good news because it has built-in intelligence that can avoid hurtful relationships and can choose sustainable relationships instead. Global relationship (religion) is waking up to the tragic misdirection of imperial, top-down control, in contrast to the ordered direction of organic life growing and enlarging from within. Growing from the inside out happens incrementally with experience, a little bit at a time. But the good news is that consciousness of experience (the ground of faith) is cumulative by trial and error, and reveals what is sustainable and what is not. Organic relationships originated minutely, but have grown to the point of being self-reflective in the human person. Essential to growth is change, as experience has shown. But, political forces of self-interest compete to create self-serving webs of relationships that intend to dominate and control. The monopoly control of Christian churches has been centered in Rome under pope kings. The violence of imperial overreach came to a head in medieval times; and the weight of oppression, so heavy at that time, drove people to rebel and demand change. Denominational Christianity today is made up of reform factions of original Roman Catholicism. In the present time, the coming apart of imperial Roman Catholicism is happening with the resignation of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI and with the election of Pope Francis I. For the first time in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, it is opening up to the organic nature of life, including humankind, and the incremental nature of relationships, growing bit-by-bit from within, not from the top down. Cosmic nature informs all relationships with the possibility and necessity of continuity and holding together from within. The mentality of dominion culture underlies the waste of nature by colonial overreach and corporate capitalism. The consciousness of love grounds in the universal understandings of common wellbeing, and expands in the incremental growth of complexity-consciousness. The affirming harmony of intentional relationships is the good news of personal/ social wellbeing and the condition of an uplifting and sustainable future. The personal search for self-identity takes on new meaning in light of understanding religion as common organic relatedness in Cosmic Earth evolution. The possibility of religions coming together on grounds of universal understandings is real given the wide open potentials of communication and the continuity of diverse life inside the webs of organic evolution. Beyond the benefits of the personal uplift of consciousness, QUANTUM RELIGION provides cohesive insights for bringing communities to a higher sense of religion and civility, and the necessary sensitivity that secures natural ecologies for future wellbeing. QUANTUM RELIGION is the good news of rising consciousness.

Quantum Mechanics, a collection of fifteen essays, explores the creative interaction among quantum physics, philosophy, and theology. This fine collection presents the results of the fifth international research conference co-sponsored by the Vatican Observatory, Rome, and the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, Berkeley. The overarching goal of these conferences is to support the engagement of constructive theology with the natural sciences and to investigate the philosophical and theological elements in ongoing theoretical research in the natural sciences. In the first section of this collection, contributors examine scientific and historical context. Section two features essays covering a wide range of philosophical interpretations of quantum mechanics. The final set of essays explores the theological implications of quantum theory. Abner Shimony, Raymond Y. Chiao, Michael Berry, Ernan McMullin, William R. Stoeger, S.J., James T. Cushing, Jeremy Butterfield, Michael Redhead, Chris Clarke, John Polkinghorne, Michael Heller, Philip Clayton, Thomas F. Tracy, George F.R. Ellis, and Robert John Russell all contributed essays to this volume.

The author of Quantum Theology presents a synthesis of science, theology, and spirituality while exploring the meaning of evolution and the spiritual underpinnings of the new sciences. Original.