Minerva: Physics and Faith

On 20 September, David Parker, Professor of Physics at Birmingham University and curate at St. Mary’s Selly Oak, Birmingham came to Bradfield to deliver a Minerva talk on the relationship between Physics and faith. Emma (K) writes:

It was a great opportunity and privilege to listen to Professor Parker, talk about how he saw the relationship between physics and faith. It was incredibly interesting to hear his points of views on how faith and science can complement each other, without the need for disagreement. I was particularly struck by his defence of the resurrection; in a physicist’s mind, there is no point in investigating a one-time occurrence since physics is based upon repeated observation, meaning it is seemingly impossible to disprove the resurrection. This was a stimulating and powerful argument, which I had not learnt in my RS A Level course, meaning I have another view point from which I can tackle the issues of miracle and resurrection.

Further, I found that this talk really challenged my own personal opinions on God and I was convinced that it is in fact possible to have a non-binary approach to the matter. It seems that contrary to my prior opinion, it is possible to believe in scientific theories and appreciate the existence of a God; faith and science can go hand in hand.

Overall, this Minerva Lecture was highly stimulating and useful as it directly related to my studies!