Appreciating a scientist-theologian: Some remarks on the work of John Polkinghorne

Perhaps the greatest irony about the contemporary religion-science dialogue is the fact char, despite their own strongly articulated denials, many thi nkers implicitly accept the "warfare" thesis of A. D. White-that is, they a gree with White that traditional theology has proved unable to engage scien ce in fruitful conversation. More than most others, John Polkinghorne under stands just how badly White misread the history of Christianity and science , and how much theology has been impoverished by its failure to challenge t his core assumption of modernity.