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Fr. Dr. G. Lemaître and
Rev. Dr. J. Polkinghorne:
Their lives at the intersection between
physics and theology
Outline
Fr Dr Georges Lemaître: Catholic priest who were a
prominent cosmologist in the golden era of physics
(beginning of 20th century) and fathered the Big Bang Theory
Life and scientific contributions of
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne: Theoretical physicist who played
pivotal rule in discovery of quarks and who then became an
Anglican priest and a physics and theology scholar
Fr Dr Georges Lemaître
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/big-bang-theory-challenged-bulk-universe-four-507096
Fr Dr George Lemaitre:
His Life
17 July 1894
(Charleroi,
Belgium)
20 June
1966
(Leuven,
Belgium)
Fr Dr George Lemaître:
Who was he?
Cosmologist
Catholic Priest
Algebraist
Computer Programmer
Pioneer
Visionary
Thinker of Conviction
Fr Dr George Lemaître:
What did he do?
Lemaître developed the first mathematical ideas behind the so-called “Big Bang Theory”.
He predated the work of Hubble and others to develop the foundational ideas in modern cosmology.
Early work was rediscovered as it was first published in Belgium.
Fr Dr George Lemaître:
Why is he famous?
Lemaître was a contemporary of Einstein during the first “Golden Age” of Relativity.
His work on the idea of an expanding universe in 1927 and derived Hubbles laws – 2 years ahead of Hubbles experimental verification: 𝑣 = 𝐻0 𝑑
Fr Dr George Lemaître:
Why is he famous?
In 1931, in an article in the journal Nature, Lemaître proposed a theory where the world began from a “single quantum”.
This idea of a primordial atom or cosmic egg was radical at the time
The consensus “steady state” theory was eventually overturned
Fr Dr George Lemaître:
Why is he famous?
The first experimental verification of cosmologists ideas came with Hubble in 1929
Later in 1965, the first measurement of the CMB provided another hail in the coffin for the steady state theory
Lemaître learned of these shortly before his passing in 1966
Fr Dr George Lemaître:
How did he marry physics
and faith
Lemaître was a conviction scientist
– he stuck to belief in his theory, even in the face of Einstein’s opposition to this ideas
“Your calculations are correct, but your physics is atrocious”
Fr Dr George Lemaître:
How did he marry physics
and faith
Lemaître was of the opinion that science and faith are NOT in conflict, they bring different aspects to the human experience
His work certainly appeals to the idea of the “first mover” – exactly what banged?
Fr Dr George Lemaître:
How did he marry physics
and faith
The “singularity” at the start of the universe is essential to its later evolution
But it is also a statement that it is beyond the comprehension of the theories that follow it – the laws of physics breakdown at this point
Lemaître knew this also!
Fr Dr George Lemaître:
Additional Material
BBC Stories in Sound –
Father of the Big Bang
Discussion
time
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quark_structure_proton.svg
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:
Who is he?
16 October 1930 (Weston-
Super-Mare, UK)
1952 BSc Mathematics
1956 PhD Physics
1974 Fellow of the Royal
Society
1982 Ordained priest
1955 MSc Mathematics
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:
Physics
1956 - 1979
Theories about elementary particles
Role in discovery of the quark
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:
Physics
1956 - 1979
Theories about elementary particles
Analytic and high-energy properties
of Feynman integrals
S-Matrix theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-matrix_theory#/media/File:Calabi_yau_formatted.svg
Role in discovery of the quark
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:
From physics to theology
1979
End of the physics era and begin of the
theology era
Theology studies at Westcott House, Cambridge
Ordained as an Anglican priest in 1982
His best mathematical work was probably behind him
Ordination offered an attractive second career
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:
Anglican priest
1982: Assigned to a parish in South Bristol
Vicar of a parish in Blean 1984:
Fellow, dean, and chaplain of Trinity Hall, Cambridge 1986:
President of Queens’ College, Cambridge 1989 – 1996:
Canon theologian of Liverpool Cathedral 1994 – 2005:
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:
Science and Theology
1983 -
He has written about 30 books on the relationship
between physics and mathematics and theology
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:
Science and Theology
1986 - : One of the founders of the Society of Ordained
Scientists: Preaching order of the Anglican
Communion
Founding president of the International Society for
Science and Religion 2002 – 04:
1997: Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for distinguished
service to science, religion, learning, and medical ethics
2002: Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research or
Discoveries About Spiritual Realities
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:
Binocular vision
Moving from pure science to the marriage between science
and theology gave him a BINOCULAR VISION
Critical realism: science and religion address aspects of the
same reality
Continuously seeking Truth
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:
5 common points in seeking Truth
Science and theology pursue Truth by
1) moments of enforced radical revision
2) period of unresolved confusion
3) new understanding
4) continuous struggle with unresolved problems
5) deeper implications
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:
Can a physicist pray?
To some scientists there are intellectual obstacles to faith
Can a scientist pray?
Yes, he can because we have powers of choice
It is perfectly consistent, logically coherent that God can act
within the openness of that physical world as well. And I think
that in such a world, a scientist can pray (extract from JP’s
interview for Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, May 1998)
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:
Dual aspect of monism
Mind, Soul, and Body
Different aspects of the same reality
World made of only ONE substance
Material phase
Mental phase
2 states
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:
Existence of God
The question of the existence of God is the single most
important question we face about the nature of reality (extract
from “The faith of a physicist”)
God is the ultimate answer to Leibniz's question
why is there something rather than nothing?
Theism makes more sense of the world, and of human
experience, than does atheism (extract from “Science and
Theology”)
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:
Existence of God and reason
JP’s religious and scientific believes are based on REASON
Acceptance of the existence of God can enable the scientist
to fully and truly understand reality
Theology as a great integrating discipline
It takes science’s insights and understandings, it takes the
insights of morality, takes the insights of aesthetics, the
study of beauty (extract from JP’s interview for Religion
and Ethics Newsweekly, May 1998)
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:
Man and the Universe
The more I examine the universe and the details of its
architecture, the more evidence I find that the universe in some
sense must have known we were coming (Freeman Dyson
quotation extract from “Science and Theology”)
Wide consensus amongst physicists that
There is just one universe which is the way it is in its anthropic
fruitfulness because it is the expression of the purposive design
of a Creator, who has endowed it with the finely tuned
potentiality for life (extract from “Science and Theology”)
Quantum Physics – Theology:
Christianity
Quantum physics and theology seem to use similar
methodologies, because:
1) There is an underlying level of reality that can
only be referenced indirectly
2) Free will: What if God acts through the indeterminacy of
quantum physics?
3) Quantum physics and theology try to understand a
level of reality not directly accessible to our senses
Quantum Physics – Theology:
The way forward
Experimental data
explained by theory
Jesus’ life (data) explained by
theology (theory)
How to prove that protons and
neutrons are made of quarks?
Why did first disciples think
that through the Risen Christ
they had been given a power
to transform radically their
lives?
“Quantum Physics and Theology: An Unexpected Kinship”,
John Polkinghorne
Physics Christian theology
Quantum Physics – Theology:
The way forward
Physics
Superconductivity was first
seen as inexplicable
Miracles are also inexplicable
Discovery of quarks changed
physics
Resurrection of Christ
changes western faith
“Quantum Physics and Theology: An Unexpected Kinship”,
John Polkinghorne
Christian theology
Discussion
time
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