Dillard Faries on Religion, Newtonian Physics, and Quantum Mechanics

tonygill — Sun, 07 Jan 2018 09:00:33 +0000

“Chance is nature’s free will; choice is mankind’s free will; and grace is God’s free will.” So writes Dr. Dillard Faries, a professor emeritus of physics at Wheaton College and author of the book Amazing Grace of Quantum Physics. The shift from a Newtonian understanding of the physical laws of nature to one based upon the weirdness of quantum mechanics sets the stage for looking at how humans understand what the universe, being, and free will is all about. Our conversation begins with some background on Prof. Faries, who grew up in a religious household, traveled to Berkeley for graduate school, and then landed at Wheaton in the late 1960s. We then turn to his motivation for writing a book that blends theological insights with lessons in physics and the history of science.

Our journey into the world of physics begins with a review of the Newtonian framework for motion and thermodynamics. Dillard notes how this understanding developed from religious minds dating back to the 17th century, but eventually led to the disappearance of God in the discourse by the late 1800s. He reviews some of the various tensions within the Newtonian paradigm that scientists began to realize by the late 19th century. These paradoxes include tensions between continuity and discontinuity (reconciled later by the notion of “quantum jumps”), certainty and uncertainty, determinism and indeterminism, and reality, a-reality, and anti-reality. Prof. Faries links some of these notions back to insights from pre-Aristotelian philosophers and how they contrast with the Kantian categories of space, time, and causality. We also explore the notion of being and becoming, and Prof. Faries explains how the notion of nature producing quantum jumps to bridge this gap becomes essential to the new physics that is developing in the 20th century. We then walk through some of the historical developments that led to our understanding of quantum mechanics, including the discovery of X-rays, new theories about the nature of light, and advances in field theory. Dillard points out that field theory is akin to a spiritual world permeating all of reality. We then talk about the world of “double reality” wherein particles act on other particles without being in direct contact via fields and how all of this creates a universe of uncertainty at the quantum level. Throughout this discussion, Dr. Faries weaves in some thoughts about the theological implications of these new understandings of the physical world.

The conversation finishes with Prof. Dillard reflecting upon his career, noting that he really didn’t think about the theological implications of quantum physics at first since our educational system has so separated the physical sciences from our philosophical and theological disciplines. But when asked what he would tell a “young Dillard” some 50 years ago, knowing what he knows now, he would emphasize the mystery of physics and our world and that none of this would ever lead to a difficulty in squaring with his Christian faith. Recorded: December 21, 2017.

Jason Jewell on John Locke & Religious Toleration

tonygill — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:00:16 +0000

John Locke is a name that comes up frequently on our podcast when discussing religious liberty and toleration. To find out more about this great philosopher and political economist, we invite Prof. Jason Jewell to our program to enlighten us as to the life, times, and philosophy of Locke. Jason is the chair of the Department of Humanities at Faulkner University (Alabama) and the creator of The Western Traditon, a blog that is devoted to all things Christian and Classical. We begin our chat by setting the historical table on which Locke was feasting, covering the important events occuring in England and Europe during the 17th century, including the English Civil War, Cromwell’s Commonwealth and the Glorious Revolution. We then discuss Locke’s general intellectual contributions to Western civilization and contrast him to another famed philosopher of the 1600s, Thomas Hobbes. Our discussion then leads to Locke’s (First) Letter Concerning Toleration, which Tony admits to being the longest “letter” he has ever read. Jason explains that since they didn’t have television or football back then, intellectuals usually spent their time writing. We look into Locke’s thoughts on whether or not individuals can be coerced into their faith and how this affects Locke’s view of church-state relations, followed by Locke’s views on religious toleration in an environment of increasing pluralism. Tony pushes Prof. Jewell on the issue of Locke’s toleration as it related to Catholics and how Locke may have viewed Mormons had he lived today. (Hat tip to Prof. Ruth Arnell, an avid listener, for suggesting that question on our Facebook page.) We wrap up by reviewing what Jason has been doing at Faulkner University and on his blog, The Western Tradition, as it pertains to the canonical readings of Western literature. Jason disappoints Tony by indicating that The Political Origins of Religious Liberty did not make the list of all-time classics. Listeners are encouarged to join Jason Jewell’s journey as he tackles several thousand pages of reading. Recorded: November 22, 2011.

Research On Religion » epistemology

Dillard Faries on Religion, Newtonian Physics, and Quantum Mechanics

Jason Jewell on John Locke & Religious Toleration