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Reviewed by Judith Jenkins Kohatsu, elder of the New England Conference and pastor of Ballard Vale United Church, Andover, MA. Faith in the Living God by John Polkinghorne and Michael Welker It is commonly held that “there are no atheists in foxholes.” An unspoken contemporary assumption might be that “all scientists are atheists.” In fact many assume that all of us who live in this culture with such a dominant scientific worldview have at least atheistic leanings. John Polkinghorne, Anglican priest and mathematical physicist, and Michael Welker, systematic theologian and contemporary philosopher, write to challenge and rebut this assumption. Writing “for troubled friends and educated despisers of Christianity” (pg. 139), Polkinghorne and Welker encourage us to join with them in serious theological thinking about the living God.
In a dialogue format both authors present their understanding of faith in God as Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit. Certainly these are the central doctrines of our faith. Polkinghorne and Welker do more than proffer ‘old’ theology; they challenge us to think theologically of what it means to have faith in the living God. How do these beliefs that God is actively today Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit coexist and integrate with our current scientific knowledge? In parallel chapters Polkinghorne and Welker put forth their theological statements, are commented upon by each other, and in turn reply to the comments. It is indeed a rich dialogue. The last third of the book is devoted to “Faith Seeking Understanding in Truth Seeking Communities and Among Individuals” with Polkinghorne “Opening Windows onto Reality” and Welker “Springing Cultural Traps.” Together they write the concluding chapter on the search for truth and understanding, exploring the more philosophical and somewhat academic portion of the dialogue. As one reads the book, one grapples with questions such as: What is faith ? What does it mean to be ‘living’? What is the distinction among creator, creation and creature? Polkinghorne and Welker discuss what ‘time’ is, suggesting there are multiple times, often interwoven. The reader will come away with a better grasp of the concepts of eternal life and eternity which are so often confused with ‘immortality’ and some future time. Those who worry about all the ‘omni’ characteristics ascribed to God will appreciate Polkinghorne’s clarifications. As they write, both Polkinghorne and Welker drop sufficient hints of both how and where they are putting their theology together as they also gently critique other theological schools.
This is an excellent book for a study group. It is better suited to a time-frame of 1.5-2 hours than the usual 45-60 minute Sunday morning discussion group. With the exception of the last chapter, none of the language is overly intimidating from either a theological or scientific perspective. Polkinghorne makes excellent use of scientific examples as metaphors and illustrations for theological concepts. His scientifically correct use of such metaphors will be appreciated by scientists reading the book. One need not worry about a scientific degree—or for that matter a theological one; both authors only ask that one come with an inquiring mind, ready to explore ‘old’ ideas with ‘new’ eyes. Although a college level education is assumed, any interested reader with a high school education can (with gentle support) both enjoy reading this book and contribute thoughtfully to its discussion.
Why bother re-examining the concept of the living God from this perspective? We should bother because any one of us born after World War II has a scientific worldview which is supported by our culture. Into this worldview we are attempting to place a pre-scientific theology. For the sake of our being whole, integrated human beings who are Christians, we need to express our theology in terms which are compatible with the way in which we live and describe our world, which is thoroughly scientific. For the sake of our children, who are even more acculturated with the scientific worldview, we need to express our faith concepts in ways that are compatible with and cognizant of the scientific worldview which shapes their daily lives. Our faith is relevant to this scientific world; let us so express it.
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