Living with Hope: A Scientist Looks at Advent, Christmas, & Epiphany

by John Polkinghorne

Overview

In these refreshingly unconventional meditations, scientist John Polkinghorne connects the perspectives of science and religion in honest and thoughtful reflections for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. Giving new meaning to the penitence of Advent and the hope of the Christian faith, he considers God's ultimate purposes along with scientific knowledge of the fate of the universe. Complete with Scriptural references and prayers, Living With Hope encourages Christians to think about the beginning and end of the world and to come to discover what it means to truly affirm God's purpose in creation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780664227494
Publisher:	Westminster John Knox Press
Publication date:	09/30/2003
Pages:	99
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

John Polkinghorneis one of the world's leading experts on Science and Religion. A world-class physics Professor at Cambridge who became a priest, Founding President of the ISSR and winner of the Templeton Prize, Polkinghorne's publications include Exploring Reality, Quantum Physics and Theology, Quarks, Chaos and Christianity, Science and the Trinity, Living with Hope, and Belief in God in an Age of Science.

Table of Contents

	Preface	vii
	Introduction	1
	Advent recovered	1
	Advent preparation	2
	Advent hope	3
	The Four Last Things	5
	Christmas	6
	Advent 1	7
	The end of the world	7
	Monday: Death	10
	Tuesday: The Fall--Mortality	12
	Wednesday: The Pit--Little deaths	15
	Thursday: Denial of death--The rich fool	17
	Friday: Individual destiny	19
	Saturday: Sorrow	21
	Advent 2	24
	Unseen realities	24
	Monday: Judgement	26
	Tuesday: The distortive effects of sin	29
	Wednesday: Divine wrath	31
	Thursday: The coming of the hidden Christ	33
	Friday: Purgation, not destruction	35
	Saturday: Do not judge	37
	Advent 3	39
	John the Baptist	39
	Monday: Heaven	41
	Tuesday: Continuity--The soul	44
	Wednesday: Discontinuity--The new creation	46
	Thursday: A sacramental world	48
	Friday: The worship of Heaven	50
	Saturday: All creation	52
	Advent 4	55
	The Blessed Virgin Mary	55
	Monday: Hell	57
	Tuesday: Grey, not red	59
	Wednesday: Holiness	61
	Thursday: The sin against the Holy Spirit	63
	Friday: Cynicism	64
	Christmas	67
	Christmas Eve: Mary or Augustus?	67
	Christmas Day: The Word made flesh	69
	St Stephen: Following Christ	71
	St John the Evangelist: Simple words--profound truth	73
	Holy Innocents: The bitterness of suffering	75
	29 December: Divine vulnerability	76
	30 December: Faithful Joseph	78
	31 December: The pilgrim path	80
	Epiphany	82
	Naming of Jesus: Saviour	82
	2 January: Prophet	84
	3 January: Priest	86
	4 January: King	88
	5 January: Jesus is Lord	90
	Epiphany: Gentiles and intellectuals	92
	Baptism of Christ: All assumed	94
	Postscript	96
	Does the universe make sense?	96
	Questions	97