John Polkinghorne Quotes

I actually do propose open-mindedness, but open-mindedness to the Word of God.

There were times when I was so sick of talking about the Bible.

Theology moves back and forth between two poles, the eternal truth of its foundations and the temporal situation in which the eternal truth must be received.

God gave us the mind so that we can know him.

Religion, oh, just another of those numerous failures resulting from an attempt to popularize art.

Leading Christian theologians such as Augustine and Aquinas were not what today might be called 'strict constructionists.' Rather, they celebrated reason as the means to gain greater insight into divine intentions.

For many decades now - and certainly during my adult life in academe - the Western intellectual world has not been convinced that theology is a pursuit that can be engaged in with intellectual honesty and integrity.

I want to create the largest archive of great God debates in existence: a Web site that becomes a great resource for both Christians and atheists.

Although I believe that scripture is divinely inspired and infallible, I have a hard time going along with the belief that the whole creation process occurred in six twenty-four hour days.

There are things that I do agree with in Christianity and things that I don't agree with. I'm not a regular churchgoer, but I do think that I have my own beliefs that I feel strongly about.

The Christian of the future will be a mystic or he will not exist at all.

A little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion.

Why is it that when we talk to God we're said to be praying but when God talks to us we're schizophrenic?

Truth is Mormonism. God is the author of it.

Theology is a science of mind applied to God.

Theology is unnecessary.

So much of religion is exegesis. I would rather follow in the footprints of Christ than all of the dogma.

Theology is endlessly interesting in that you can study it without believing in anything. I do believe, but you don't have to. I got very caught up in the 11th-century monasticism and the Cistercians. My dissertation was about Aelred of Rievaulx and one of his books.

Christianity has always embraced both reason and faith.

I am very interested in theology. In fact, my first degree was in theology, so it's something that interests me greatly.

Conservatives and liberals understand the Christian faith as a set of ideas because, so understood, Christianity seems to be a set of beliefs assessable to anyone upon reflection.

Let me say that I consider myself a deep believer in the reality of God. I might define God quite differently from the way some people in the Christian faith would do so, but I do not doubt the reality of that experience.

In requiring this candor and simplicity of mind in those who would investigate the truth of our religion, Christianity demands nothing more than is readily conceded to every branch of human science.

If we can find God only as he is revealed in nature we have no moral God.

I think there's nothing better in the world than a spirited discussion about the Bible and Jesus and God and the Catholic faith, or the Jewish faith, or the Muslim faith - any religion.