Die God-wêreld verhouding in die kontemporêre geloof-wetenskap dialoog: die bydrae van J. C. Polkinghorne - Pieterse, André (University of the Free State, 2010)
i. Since the Enlightenment scientific development has led to a world view that can be described in a mechanical way. In a modernistic world, processes in creation were described in a deterministic way, while causality moved God’s involvement in creation to deism. The uncovering of the quantum world and the insight that creation also displays a contingent character in different areas, brought about a new cosmology and made the question about divine action more relevant. The problem was that science could not understand and declare happenings in creation, solely from a physical point of view. In the post-modern world, reformed theology professes God as acting in both a transcendental and immanent way. A new cosmology required a reformulation of the traditional doctrine of Providence and testimony concerning divine agency. Polkinghorne, as a prominent scientist/theologian suggests that a Trinitarian God is acting in the cosmos and that both science and religion co-operate in a complementary way to display God’s divine action. This proposal could be promising for reformed theology. ii. The core question in this study is: can Polkinghorne’s understanding of how God acts in the world, contribute to the broadening of a traditional doctrine of Providence? To answer this question, there must be a clear understanding concerning the relationship between science and religion. iii. The question of how God acts and Polkinghorne’s eventual contribution is derived from these different models. The present debate necessitates a new relationship between science and religion, as traditional approaches failed to appreciate the unity in creation. iv. Polkinghorne’s proposal on how God acts, links with other more recent models, which focus on an inter-disciplinary approach. This approach benefits from the insight obtained from both the physical and human sciences. v. This broad review leads to Polkinghorne’s cosmological proposal. His epistemology is based on critical realism that utilizes the concept of dual- aspect monism in order to defend an anti-reductionistic perspective on reality. This metaphysical outlook enables him to revaluate the physical reality from a Trinitarian confession of eschatological hope. vi. Polkinghorne suggests a complementary relationship between science and religion, where both disciplines can function harmoniously. Theology as equal partner of science answers the meta questions that transcend scientific observation. vii. Polkinghorne professes a Trinitarian God that is personally involved in his creation, in such a way, that His temporal and kenotic nature comes to the fore. This transcendental/immanent act of God’s self-revelation, culminates in the incarnation of Jesus Christ as the Resurrected. viii. Acts of God are recognizable in a Natural Theology that respects the relationship with science. God acts holistically within an open cosmos that has been intelligently designed and is anthropically balanced. The conveyance of divine knowledge takes place within complex systems, like the chaos theory, which is an interaction between chance and necessity. This is recognizable to man that developed self-consciousness through a process of evolution and implies a process of continuous unfolding, from and towards complexity. Man is working in cooperation with God, who sometimes works under exceptional circumstances in extraordinary ways, of which the resurrection of Christ is a testimony. ix. A reformed understanding of Providence is traditionally divided into three different areas of divine action, namely upholding, governance and co-operation. The Trinitarian God maintains and governs the whole cosmos which culminates in the incarnation and resurrection of Christ. That is the strength of this approach. The primary focus is soteriological. The shortcoming on the other hand, is a limited cosmological focus and an under- estimation of scientific insights. These are two elements that necessitate this study. x. The methodological interaction of scientific hypotheses in Polkinghorne’s proposal is definitely strange to a traditional, reformed perspective. The central focus and starting point of his approach, namely a Trinitarian relationship that expresses itself in the resurrection of Jesus, agrees however with a traditional view. He offers a definite contribution towards the reformed doctrine. His contribution can be summarized as follows: xi. Firstly, a complementary relationship between science and religion affirms that divine action is acknowledged holistically as continuous cosmological events. xii. Secondly, through a new Natural theology, science, as conversation partner of theology, reveals God’s excellence in His continuing self-announcement in creation. xiii. Thirdly, dipolarity, as potential reformed theological construction, shows promise to base divine action on God’s faithfulness. xiv. Fourthly, God acts in a Trinitarian way through the interaction of chance and necessity in creation. A reformed understanding is challenged to harmonize a contingent reality with the confession of a faithful God taking care of his creation every moment. xv. Fifthly, panentheism does have a limited value within the reformed theology. It challenges a reformed approach to further reflect upon God’s immanent presence in the world. xvi. In conclusion: in the light of the quantum era the standpoint on Providence in the Articles of Faith needs to be reformulated.

i. Die wetenskaplike ontwikkeling vanaf die Verligting het tot ‘n wêreldbeeld gelei wat in geheel op ‘n meganiese wyse beskry f kon word. In ‘n m odernistiese wêreld is prosesse in die skepping op ‘n determin istiese wyse verklaar , terwyl kousaliteit God se betrokkenheid in die skepping vers kuif het tot deïsme. Die ontdekking van die kwantum wêreld en die insig dat di e skepping in verskillende areas ook ‘n kontingente karakter vertoon, het ‘n vera nderde kosmologie daargestel, en die vraag na goddelike handeling uiters aktu eel gemaak. Die probleem was dat die wetenskap nie meer gebeure in die skeppi ng uitsluitlik fisies kon verklaar en begryp nie. In hierdie post-moderne wêre ld getuig die gerefo rmeerde teologie van ‘n God wat op ‘n transendente, sowel as immanente wyse, handelend in die skepping aanwesig is. ‘n Nuwe kosmo logie het ‘n her-formulering van die tradisionele voorsienigheid sleer en getuienis oor goddelike handeling vereis. Polkinghorne, as prominente wetenskaplike/ teoloog stel voor da t ‘n trinitariese God aktief in die kosmos handel en dat be ide wetenskap en geloof komplementêr meewerk om hierdie handeling in die skeppi ng aan te toon. Hierdie voorstel hou belofte vir ‘n gereformeerde teologie in. ii. Die kernvraag van hierdie studie is: Kan Polkinghorne se vers taan van God se handeling in die wêreld ‘n bydrae lewer tot die verruiming van ‘n tradisionele voorsienigheidsleer? Die antwoord op hier die vraag vereis duidelikheid oor die verhouding tussen wetenskap en geloof. iii. Die vraag na goddelike hande ling en uiteindelik Polki nghorne se bydrae, vloei voort vanuit dié verskillende modelle. Die huidige debat noodsaak ‘n nuwe verbintenis tussen wetenskap en geloof, aa ngesien die tradisione le benaderings die eenheid in die skepping misken het. iv. Polkinghorne se voorstel vir goddelike handeling vind aansluiting by ander resente modelle met die fokus op ‘n inter-dissipl inêre benadering waar die insigte vanuit die fisiese, sowel as die g eesteswetenskappe benut word. 331 v. Hierdie breë oorsig lei tot Polkinghor ne se kosmologiese voorstel. Sy epistemologie berus op kritiese realisme wat die konsep van ‘dual-aspect monism’ benut ten einde ‘n anti-reduksionistiese pers pektief op die werklikheid te verdedig. Hierdie metafisiese uitkyk stel hom instaat om vanuit ’n trinitariese belydenis van eskatotologiese hoop die fisiese werklikheid te herwaardeer. vi. Polkinghorne stel ’n komplementêre ver houding tussen wetenskap en geloof voor waar beide dissiplines konsonant kan funks ioneer. Teologie as gelyke vennoot van die wetenskap beantwoord die meta -vrae wat wetenskaplike waarneming transendeer. vii. Polkinghorne bely ‘n trinita riese God wat persoonlik ha ndel in Sy skepping, maar wel op so ‘n wyse dat Sy temporele en kenotiese aard na vore tree. Hierdie transendent / immanente handeling van God se selfopenbaring vind ’n hoogtepunt in die inkarnasie van Jesus Christus as opgestane Here. viii. God se handeling is kenbaar deur ‘n Natuurlike Teologie wat die verhouding met die wetenskap respekteer. Hy handel op ‘n holistiese wyse binne ‘n oop kosmos wat intelligent ontwerp en antropies ge balanseerd is. Die oordrag van goddelike kennis vind plaas binne komplekse sist eme soos die chaos teorie deur die wisselwerking van kontingens ie en wetmatigheid. Dit is kenbaar vir die mens wat evolusionêr tot ‘n selfbewussyn ontwikke l het en impliseer ‘n proses van voortgaande ontluiking tot, en vanuit komplek siteit. Die mens is ‘n medewerker van God. God handel in buitengewone omstandighede op buitengewone maniere en die opstanding van Christus getuig daarvan. ix. ‘n Gereformeerde voorsienigheidsbegrip word tradisioneel verd eel in drie areas van goddelike handeling, nl. onderhouding, regering en medewerking. God onderhou en regeer trinitari es oor die ganse kosmos, en die hoogtepunt is die inkarnasie en opstanding van Christus. Dit is die sterkpunt van dié benadering. Die primêre fokus is soteriol ogies van aard. Die tekortkom ing is egter ‘n beperkte kosmologiese fokus en ‘n onderwaardering va n wetenskaplike insigte. Dit is twee elemente wat hierdie studie noodsaak. 332 x. Die metodologiese interaksie van wetens kaplike hipoteses in Polkinghorne se voorstel is beslis vreemd aan ‘n tradisioneel, gerefo rmeerde perspektief. Die sentrale fokus en vertrekpunt van sy bena dering nl.’n trinitariese verhouding wat uiting vind in die opstanding van Jesus uit die dood stem egter ooreen met ‘n tradisionele siening. Hy lewer ‘n definitiewe bydrae tot die gereformeerde leer. Sy bydrae kan as volg saamgevat word: xi. Ten eerste, ‘n komplementêre verhouding tu ssen wetenskap en ge loof bevestig dat goddelike handeling holisties as ‘n deurl opende kosmologiese gebeure erken word. xii. In die tweede plek, vanuit ‘n nuwe Na tuurlike teologie wys die wetenskap, as gespreksvennoot van die teologie, op die voortreflikheid van God in Sy voortgaande selfbekendmaking in die skepping. xiii. In die derde plek, dipolariteit vertoon as poten sïele gereformeerde teologiese konstruksie die belofte om goddelike ha ndeling op God se trou te fundeer. xiv. In die vierde plek, God hande l op ‘n trinitariese wyse deur die wisselwerking van kontingensie en wetmatigheid in die skepping. ‘n Gereformeerde teologie word uitgedaag om die realiteit van ‘n konti ngente werklikheid te harmonieër met die belydenis van ‘n getroue God wat elke oomblik sorg dra vir Sy skepping . xv. In die vyfde plek, panenteïsme het wel ‘n beperkte waarde binne ‘n gereformeerde teologie. Dit daag ‘n gereformeerde be nadering uit tot verdere besinning oor die aard van God se immanente teen woordigheid in die wêreld. xvi. Ten slotte, die belydenissk rifte se standpunt oor voorsi enigheid vereis ‘n her- formulering in die lig van die kwantum era .
Thesis (D.Th. (Dogmatology))--University of the Free State, 2010
Keywords: Polkinghorne, J. C., 1930-; Religion and science; Faith; Faith and reason -- Christianity; Providence and government of God -- Christianity; Chaos (Christian theology)