Hawking and the theory of everything [View all]

[Thats my opinion]

Stephen Hawking embodies probably the most respected scientific-philosophical perspective of anyone alive. Despite his ravaged body, his mind has never stopped generating approaches to the greatest of all Mysteries, which is “a theory of everything.” He has been claimed by both theists and atheists as representing their quite divergent positions. He deliberately comes down in neither camp. That probably means he is on to something.

While never claiming any particular religious conviction, Hawking continually uses the word GOD, which stands for one of his core affirmations. As far back as 1988 he posited that to come up with a theory explaining everything is to “know the mind of God.” God is not just a throwaway clever word. He defined God as “the embodiment of all the laws of physics,” This comes very close to the increasingly popular “process theology” which is now near the center of America’s great seminaries.

Science begins with questions, and hopes to discover clues to ways of approaching the thus far unanswerable. Religion seeks to hear those same clues. One cannot find in Hawking absolutist positions even on God’s existence or non-existence. Fundamentalists in both theistic and atheistic camps, who make claims to the contrary, are simply parading their arrogance. Hawking looks at the universe and suggests that there are ultimate questions that at this point can neither rule God in or rule God out. Not a bad way to approach the great Mystery which lies at the heart of everything.