Fr. Dr. G. Lemaître and Rev. Dr. J. Polkinghorne:

Their lives at the intersection between and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C79ewVSykOE Outline

Life and scientific contributions of

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

Rev Dr John Polkinghorne: Theoretical physicist who played pivotal rule in discovery of 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: 푣 = 퐻0 푑

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/Fil e:Quark_structure_proton.svg Rev Dr John Polkinghorne: Who is he? 16 October 1930 (Weston- Super-Mare, UK)

1952 BSc Mathematics

1955 MSc Mathematics

1956 PhD Physics

1974 Fellow of the Royal Society

1982 Ordained priest Rev Dr John Polkinghorne: Physics

1956 - 1979

Theories about elementary particles

Role in discovery of the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMgi2j9Ks9k Rev Dr John Polkinghorne: Physics

1956 - 1979

Theories about elementary particles

Role in discovery of the quark

Analytic and high-energy properties of Feynman integrals

S-Matrix theory https://en.w ikipedia.org/ wiki/S- matrix_theo ry#/media/F ile:Calabi_ya u_formatted .svg Rev Dr John Polkinghorne: From physics to theology

1979

End of the physics era and begin of the theology era

His best mathematical work was probably behind him Ordination offered an attractive second career

Theology studies at Westcott House,

Ordained as an Anglican priest in 1982 Rev Dr John Polkinghorne: Anglican priest

1982: Assigned to a parish in South Bristol

1984: Vicar of a parish in Blean

1986: Fellow, dean, and chaplain of Trinity Hall, Cambridge

1989 – 1996: President of Queens’ College, Cambridge

1994 – 2005: Canon theologian of 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

1997: Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for distinguished service to science, religion, learning, and medical ethics

2002: for Progress Toward Research or Discoveries About Spiritual Realities

2002 – 04: Founding president of the International Society for Science and Religion 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 2 states Mental phase Rev Dr John Polkinghorne:

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 ( 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:

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

“Quantum Physics and Theology: An Unexpected Kinship”, John Polkinghorne

Physics Christian theology

Experimental data Jesus’ life (data) explained by explained by theory theology (theory)

Why did first disciples think How to prove that protons and that through the Risen Christ neutrons are made of quarks? they had been given a power to transform radically their lives? Quantum Physics – Theology: The way forward

“Quantum Physics and Theology: An Unexpected Kinship”, John Polkinghorne

Physics Christian theology

Superconductivity was first are also inexplicable seen as inexplicable

Discovery of quarks changed Resurrection of Christ physics changes western faith Discussion time