Arthur Robert Peacocke

Honorary Canon, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford

Nature, God and Humanity

In his series of lectures, Peacocke reframes the debate between science and theology, moving away from old-fashioned hostilities and toward a more open conversation. He argues that all scientific discovery reveals something of the character of God. Emphasising process and becoming over a static understanding of the material world, he asserts that God’s direct involvement with the world creates an ongoing process sustained through his work. Biological evolution is thus a reminder of God’s immanence rather than his remoteness.

Biography

Arthur Robert Peacocke was born on 29 November 1924 in Watford, England. A biochemist and theologian, he founded the Society of Ordained Scientists for clergy with scientific concerns. Lecturer in chemistry at Birmingham in 1948, he became Fellow at St Peter’s College, Oxford in 1959, and was ordained in the Church of England 1971. Appointed Dean of Clare College, Cambridge in 1973, he taught both theology and biochemistry. In 1988, he founded the Ian Ramsey Centre at St Cross College, Oxford, and he retired as Honorary Canon of Christ Church Cathedral in 1996. 

Fellow of the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science, he was also President of the Science and Religion Forum. He received Lecomte du Noüy Prize in 1983, the Templeton Prize in 2001, and honorary doctorates from DePauw and Georgetown. Important works include Science and the Christian Experiment (1971), Creation and the World of Science (1979), Intimations of Reality (1984), God and the New Biology (1986), From DNA to DEAN (1996), God and Science (1996), and Paths from Science Towards God (2001).

Published/Archival Resources