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Re-Uploaded from 2021

Welcome back to the ISSR Podcast.

I am pleased to be (re)introducing you to this special episode on the late John Polkinghorne. John was the founding President of ISSR, and his involvement in the field of science and religion cannot be understated. His intellectual work has been a source of ongoing discussion over the years and remains so today, as you will see here. John was a professor of theoretical physics at Cambridge University until 1979, when he resigned from that prestigious position to pursue theology, entering the priesthood in 1982. A prolific writer, he authored over 30 books, exploring in depth the relationship between the discoveries of modern physics and the doctrines of the Christian faith.

In 1989, he became President of Queens' College, Cambridge, a position he held until he retired in 1996. The next year, in 1997, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for distinguished service to science, religion, learning and medical ethics. In 2002, he received the prestigious Templeton Prize in recognition of his modern and compelling treatment of theology as a complement to natural science, which, when viewed together, offer what he called a “binocular” vision of the truth. That same year, ISSR was founded, with John as Founding President.

We had a number of speakers present for the event, and all gave thoughtful reflections and respectful criticism of John’s life, work and influence. In Conversation for this episode are:

Michael J Reiss, Professor of Science Education at the Institute of Education, University College London. Prof Reiss is also past president of ISSR.
https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/pr...

Mark Harris is Professor and Andreas Idreos Chair in Science and Religion, and Director of the Ian Ramsey Centre in Science and Religion at Oxford University.
https://www.theology.ox.ac.uk/people/...

Michael Welker is Senior Professor of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Heidelberg
https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/fakulta...

Nicholas Saunders is a barrister and former lecturer at Cambridge University.
https://www.faraday.cam.ac.uk/about/p...

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