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John Polkinghorne

By robyncorbin

  • Birth

    Birth
    John Polkinghorne was born October 16, 1930 in Weston-super-Mare, United Kingdom.

  • Trinity College

    Trinity College
    Polkinghorne earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics at Trinity College in Cambridge, England.

  • Trinity College

    Trinity College
    Polkinghorne earned his Masters in Quantum Field Theory in 1955 at Trinity College in Cambridge, England.

  • Trinity College

    Trinity College
    Polkinghorne earned his Doctorate in Quantum Field Theory in 1956 at Trinity College in Cambridge, England.

  • Lecturer

    Lecturer
    John Polkinghorne became a lecturer in mathematical physics at the University of Edinburg in 1956.

  • Ordained Priest

    Ordained Priest
    Polkinghorne resigned from his position in physics and turned to his new phase in his Christian vocation. John Polkinghorne became an ordained priest for the Anglican ministry and was assigned to a parish in South Bristol in 1982. He emphasized that “Christianity had always been central to my life” (Polkinghorne).

  • The Way the World Is

    The Way the World Is
    The Way the World Is was published by John Polkinghorne in 1983 were it “explains how a thinking person can be a Christian” (Turner). It is a “reasoned account of the Christian view of the world as seen by the one of the world’s leading interpreters of the interface between science and religion”(Polkinghorne). Polkinghorne uses examples of experiences from a scientist and a theologian. He argues that Christianity presents credibility when fully understanding the emphasis in science.

  • Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II

    Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
    John Polkinghorne was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 “for distinguished service to science, religion, learning and medical ethics” (Turner).

  • Templeton Prize

    Templeton Prize
    John Polkinghorne was award “Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research/Discoveries about Spiritual Realities in 2002” (Turner). Polkinghorne says, “I want to take science and religion with great and equal seriousness. I see them as complementary to each other and not as rivals. The most important thing that they have in common is that both believe that there is a truth to be sought and found, a truth whose attainment comes through the pursuit of well motivated belief” (Polkinghorne).

  • Why is the Quantum so Mysterious?

    Why is the Quantum so Mysterious?
    John Polkinghorne published a book called Quantum Theory: A very Short Introduction in 2002. The book “gives a lucid, exciting, and accessible account of the surprising and counterintuitive ides that shape our understanding of the sub-atomic world” (Polkinghorne).
    John Polkinghorne-Why is the Quantum so Mysterious

  • Death

    Death
    John Polkinghorne died March 9, 2021 in Cambridge, United Kingdom. He was “a physicist who became a priest, we saw a world-leading and creative thinker, who embodied an engagement of science with theology characterized by faithfulness, fruitfulness, and humble service” (Polkinghorne).

  • Works Cited

    Works Cited
    Polkinghorne, John. “John C. Polkinghorne.” Templeton Prize, 12 Mar. 2021, https://www.templetonprize.org/laureate/john-c-polkinghorne/. “John Polkinghorne- Why is the Quantum so Mysterious?” YouTube, uploaded by Closer to Truth, 20 Sep 2019, https://youtu.be/35Tp8UqdaEU.

  • Works Cited

    Works Cited
    Polkinghorne , John. “Obituary: The Revd Professor John Polkinghorne.” The Church Times - News, Comment, Features, Book Reviews and More, 26 Mar. 2021, https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2021/26-march/gazette/obituaries/obituary-the-revd-professor-john-polkinghorne. Turner, Darrell J.. "John Polkinghorne". Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Oct. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Polkinghorne. Accessed 8 May 2022.

  • Works Cited

    Works Cited
    Polkinghorne , John. “The Way the World Is.” TheThoughtfulChristian.com, 1983, https://www.thethoughtfulchristian.com/Products/0664232140/the-way-the-world-is.aspx. Polkinghorne, John. “Quantum Theory: A Very Short Introduction.” John Polkinghorne - Oxford University Press, 8 May 2022, https://global.oup.com/academic/product/quantum-theory-a-very-short-introduction-9780192802521?cc=us&lang=en&#.