What Is J. Polkinghorne’s Account of Creation | Stephen Williams
Channel: Henry Center
Date: 15/08/2018

Lecture Title - John Polkinghorne on the Doctrine of Creation

After outlining Polkinghorne’s scientific understanding of the way the world is, this paper notes his commitments to critical realism and natural theology before giving an account of his theological understanding of creation. It notes the influence of two seminal figures—Jürgen Moltmann and W. H. Vanstone—with particular emphasis on their role in the formation of Polkinghorne’s central idea of creation as kenosis. The exposition draws on a range of his work with particular reference to the first and second editions of Science and Creation and The Work of Love. In conclusion, it raises critical questions on the role of science in theological construction.

Stephen N. Williams (PhD Yale University) is Honorary Professor of Theology at Queen’s University and served as a Senior Research Fellow with the Creation Project. His books include Revelation and Reconciliation: A Window on Modernity (Cambridge University Press, 1996), The Shadow of the Antichrist: Nietzsche’s Critique of Christianity (Baker Academic, 2006), and The Election of Grace: A Riddle without a Resolution? (Eerdmans, 2015).

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