FREE PUBLIC EVENT: The Hamilton Science Faith Forum and the CSCA present a lecture by Colin C. M. Campbell (PhD Physics).
Find more events in Hamilton, ON
Providence and Physical Law
Christians today live in a tension between two perspectives, both of which claim to guide them in life. The scientific perspective starts with the material; the religious starts with the spiritual. Quantum field theory, currently our best scientific explanation of events, describes them in terms of field excitations and probability, due to changes in a single parameter, action. Early and medieval Western spirituality was based on contemplation, with its goal to attain the Beatific Vision. Protestantism replaced this with a spirituality that took its inspiration from the Bible. New Testament Christianity was characterized by charismatic experience. The Eastern Church has retained a form of this with a mysticism, based on the “energies” of God. This presentation will respect the integrities of the scientific and several Christian perspectives. It will be argued that action provides an entry into metaphysics and the doctrine of Providence.
Colin Campbell (PhD Physics) has a long-standing interest in the philosophy of science. He taught at McMaster University for 15 years in the Department of Physics and in the Department of Computer Science. He is an Anglican and, for 35 years, has been a member of the Order of St Luke (OSL), currently serving on its board of directors. OSL is an international organization that began in the American Episcopal Church but is now interdenominational. It explores the relationship between healing, both physical and spiritual, and prayer. He is a regular contributor to the online web site, “The Canadian Healer.”