John Polkinghorne on cosmology & God

1. John Polkinghorne on cosmology & God • John Polkinghorne. Quarks, Chaos, and Christianity. Fortress Books, 1996. Chapter 2. • If there is a God, one would expect some clues. Polkinghorne proposes that there are clues. • Foundational events & persons • The character of the world • The design argument was immensely popular in the 18th & 19th centuries. • Darwin threw a monkey wrench into the argument. Polkinghorne on God & cosmology ~ slide 1

2. John Polkinghorne on cosmology & God • The old design arguments tended to be God-of-the-gaps arguments. • There are good & bad God-of-the-gaps arguments. • Bad -- attempting to explain a particular physical phenomena • Good -- attempting to explain the whole Polkinghorne on God & cosmology ~ slide 2

3. John Polkinghorne on cosmology & God • Polkinghorne’s proposal for good gaps arguments • 1. Why does mathematics fit the world? The world seems to be shot through with mind. • 2. The anthropic principle • The universe is very fine-tuned • This demands an explanation Polkinghorne on God & cosmology ~ slide 3

4. John Polkinghorne on cosmology & God • Are two plausible explanations for this fine-tuning • (1) Many universes • (2) A Creator willed it that way • Both explanations are plausible. Polkinghorne syas he prefers the theistic answer for other reasons. Polkinghorne on God & cosmology ~ slide 4