Does chance have a spiritual and scientific purpose?

Paul Ewart, Professor of Physics and Head of the department of Atomic and Laser Physics at Oxford, will speak at the seminar ‘The Necessity of Chance: Randomness, Purpose and the Sovereignty of God’.

He currently specialises in the application of laser spectroscopy in combustion and environmental physics.

Professor Ewart (pictured) believes that the interaction of chance and necessity is the mechanism of evolution.

Using examples from physics, he will argue that theological considerations suggest that our inability to predict outcomes prevents humans from exploiting the consistency of God and preserves his sovereignty.

He concludes that chance, or something equivalent, is a necessary part of creation operating under regular laws in which creatures are allowed free will.

The seminar will take place at The Garden Room, St Edmund’s College, and will begin at 1pm with a free light buffet lunch and drinks served from 12.30pm onwards.

This seminar is part of The Faraday Institute’s series of research seminars that are held on alternate Tuesdays.

The next seminar ‘Calvin's Contributions to the Emergence of Modern Science’ will be held on Tuesday 17th November.

Professor Alister McGrath, Professor of Theology, Ministry and Education, and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture at King's College, London, will be speaking there.

The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion provides accurate and up-to-date information to help inform and improve public understanding of the interaction between science and religion.

The Institute is ideally placed to make academic research accessible to the public through close links with a network of experts from diverse disciplines including astrophysics, geology, neuroscience, genetics, evolutionary biology, theology and history and philosophy of science.

For more information on the seminars please use the link above right.