A Future of Insight and Surprise Anticipated by Templeton Laureates

Photo: Clifford Shirley

Charles Taylor, Freeman Dyson, John Polkinghorne, John Barrow, Ian Barbour, Holmes Rolston, and Martin Rees

The seven living theologians, scientists, and philosophers who are former Gifford lecturers and Templeton Prize winners gathered at the British Academy in London to offer an enthralling afternoon of fascinating reflections on what has changed since their Gifford lectures and what the future may hold.

Martin Rees, Freeman Dyson, John Barrow, Ian Barbour, John Polkinghorne, Holmes Rolston, and Charles Taylor addressed a rapt audience of fellow academics and others on Friday, June 1. The forum was held as part of the 2012 celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the Templeton Prize, the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the Gifford lectures, and the centenary of the birth of Sir John Templeton. The event was recorded and is available online in two parts (view part 1 and part 2). Individual reflections from the participants are also online.

Mary Ann Meyers, JTF’s senior fellow and the co-chair of the Foundation’s anniversary celebrations, described it as "an intellectual feast—and a tribute to the enduring brilliance of the decisions made by Lord Gifford and Sir John to establish, in one case, a series of lectures, and, in the other, a prize for spiritual progress."

Martin Rees began his remarks by saying cosmology has featured strongly as a subject in recent Gifford lectures. And this is not surprising. The science concerns itself with our environment on the grandest scale and so Big Questions naturally arise.

Professor Rees explored how cosmology has progressed most recently as a result of technical advances. There are now good reasons to believe that the universe stretches into the deep distance for at least one thousand times as far as we can see. The theory of the multiverse, currently receiving much attention, is highly speculative, though it is possible that indirect, corroborating evidence may emerge in the next few decades. More concretely, hundreds of exoplanets have now been identified, though it will be another two decades before we have an image of an alien planet circling its sun.

As to life on other planets, Professor Rees noted that first rate science fiction can often be more illuminating than second rate science, a theme picked up by Freeman Dyson. He drew attention to a Humble Approach Initiative symposium that brought together theologians and science fiction writers. Theological fiction and poetry throws a penetrating light on the human condition, he stated.

To understand the universe in a deep sense, he said, minds count more than galaxies and planets. In a fascinating section of his talk, Professor Dyson made the case for the human mind being analog, not digital, which would explain why artificial intelligence has failed to deliver on its promise.

VIDEO: Reflections of seven Templeton Laureates

The fundamental nature of things was on the mind of John Barrow, too. He pointed out that while physicists seek unifying theories that reflect the hidden nature of reality, biologists see the complexity of the world. Great steps have been taken in charting this intricacy and it is possible that an underlying randomness to nature may be a growing theme.

The seminar shifted gear in the second half of the afternoon when the theologians and philosophers took to the stage. Ian Barbour argued that those who are interested in the relationship between science and religion need to consider the practices of religion as well as the concepts of theology and science. Human beings act for reasons, not causes. Our thoughts and feelings take place in communities. We are organisms with agency. Such more subtle considerations will take the subject forward.

This is part of what John Polkinghorne calls “bottom-up” thinking, which has led to the death of a mechanical view of the world in the twentieth century. The personal and the unpredictable are required for any full account of reality, he stressed. He also celebrated the “nudge of nature” that leads us to discoveries that we can never anticipate.

The more contemplative mood continued as Holmes Rolston offered an ecological meditation on nature as both cybernetic and cruciform. The cybernetic speaks of the information explosion, also known as evolution, from which our “wonderland planet” emerges. The cruciform speaks of how the diversity of life sounds in “a minor key.” The natural world is full of bloodshed, and yet without such suffering, life would be the poorer.

The theme of diversity sounded in the final speaker’s remarks as well. Charles Taylor explored the emergence of our secular age. It exceeds any linear casual explanations, as if modernity were a result of the so-called death of God. Instead, there are “multiple modernities” across the globe, each handling the great challenges of our times with sophistication and complexity.

Dr. Meyers said, “the Big Questions posed by the Prize Laureates are as intriguing today as at the time of their Gifford Lectures.” Certainly the audience left the forum grateful for the insights and energy of these leading thinkers.

Big Questions Back Online

The new Big Questions Online (BQO) website went live this week. BQO’s re-launch explores key issues in human purpose and ultimate reality, with a focus on religion, science, markets, morals, and the dynamic intersection among them. It features essays by leading thinkers and experts, and readers are invited to join in weekly conversations with the authors.

“I think the new BQO offers a unique opportunity for readers not only to consider the Big Questions, but to participate in an author-led discussion that could lead to new insights or a new way of seeing the question,” said Ansley Roan, BQO’s consulting executive editor.

“Questions can be an invitation to greater awareness,” wrote Sir John Templeton, stressing the paramount importance of asking the Big Questions. “They often point us toward areas of our experience that need attention. When we allow the question that is implicit in our difficulty to become explicit, we are inviting our awareness to enter the situation and guide us.”

The first of the Big Questions is “Which Beliefs Contribute to Virtuous Behavior?,” addressed by Christian Miller, associate professor of philosophy at Wake Forest University. He unpacks the powerful evidence which shows that beliefs play a crucial role in cultivating moral behavior and character. Upcoming essays include “Is Information the Basis of Reality?” by Professor Andrew Briggs and “Does a Culture of Thrift Cultivate Generosity?” by Barbara Dafoe Whitehead.

BQO is a publication of the John Templeton Foundation. New essays will appear weekly, on Tuesdays. BQO can also be followed on Facebook and Twitter.

New Inquiry into Religious Experience and Moral Character

Current scientific research is raising deep questions about the nature of moral identity and religious experience. How do the findings of neuroscience relate to notions of conscience, character, and moral sensibility? How do affections such as gratitude and joy shape the development of virtues and vices? Can scientific evidence help build a normative account of the good life?

The Center of Theological Inquiry (CTI), an independent research institution in Princeton, New Jersey, is convening an interdisciplinary team of theologians and scientists to shed new light on these questions. The work is supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.

The director of CTI, William Storrar, invites qualified scholars to submit proposals for research fellowships up to $70,000 and postdoctoral fellowships of $40,000. Successful applicants will be in residence for one or two semesters during the 2013/14 academic year. Full details may be found online.