Book Review
The Faith of a Physicist
By
John Polkinghorne
Those of you who are majoring in the hard sciences may have wondered if it is possible to think like a scientist and yet have the faith of a Christian. Although many Christians and non-Christians alike might say no, there are also many Christian scientists and scholars who are working to integrate a robust Christian theology with rigorous scientific inquiry in a way that honors both disciplines. John Polkinghorne, a partical physicist and Anglican priest, in his book entitled The Faith of a Physicist explores just what rational grounds there could be for Christian beliefs. He firmly maintains that the quest for motivated understanding is a concern shared by scientists and religious thinkers alike.
The book is organized around the Nicene Creed, an early Christian creedal statement that summarizes basic Christian beliefs. Of each of its tenets Polkinghorne asks the question, “What is the evidence that makes you think this must be true?” The evidence he weighs includes Hebrew and Christian scriptures, scientific theories, and human self-consciousness as revealed in literary, philosophical, and psychological works. His approach is both intellectually solid and deeply reverent
Christians who are serious about their faith want to love God with all that they are—heart, mind, and body. Books abound on the devotional life, on commitment, on evangelism and practical Christian living, but few take up what it means to love God with our minds. How do we learn to honor God in the ways that we think? One easy way is to read. Growing students are reading students. If you want to really wrestle with what it means to fully integrate your faith with all of life—if you’re willing to ask the hard questions—then you need to read this book.