one world: interaction of science & theology

Question 1

religious experiences

Answer 1

• polkinghorne refers approvingly to whitehead’s suggestion that ‘dogmas of religion are attempts to formulate in precise terms the truths disclosed to religious experiences of mankind’
• whitehead makes 2 claims:
  1: there’s an analogy between activities of theology and science
  2: both are concerned with understanding & ordering of experience
• polkinghorne goes onto say religious experiences are far more common than assumed
• hints at different experiences are culturally conditioned responses to same reality
• seems to show religion & religious experiences need to be taken seriously but if such experiences re ‘culturally conditioned’ may imply all ‘facts’ of christianity are nothing more than interpretation of religion & don’t express facts that can be compared to scientific facts

Question 2

jesus

Answer 2

• polkinghorne goes onto suggest that christian scriptures are evidence for claims that christians make about jesus & this evidence needs to be examined by use of reason
• by doing this, he claims ‘use of scripture closely akin to handling of evidence in observational science’
• observational science examines repeated instances of specific data
• essence of claims about jesus is that they’re held to be unique revelation of god
• belief in jesus is just belief can never be scientific hypothesis

Question 3

general conclusions on polkinghorne’s views

Answer 3

• probably only one scientific claim christians can make ‘there is a god’ which is a valid scientific hypothesis based on fact universe exists, is intelligible & has a cause external to itself
• that claim can be made by any religion not just christianity. polkinghorne’s attempt to give a more precise scientific basis for christian claims is an excellent defence of a personal christian pov but doesn’t establish scientific basis for christianity. belief in jesus’ resurrection remains a belief
• christianity still compatible with science in so far as most rational christians see christianity & science as different ways of understanding reality & those who reject science as being unchristian and those who reject christianity as being unscientific are missing the point