A Theory of Everything (That Matters): A Brief Guide to Einstein, Relativity, and His Surprising Thoughts on God

A Theory of Everything (That Matters): A Brief Guide to Einstein, Relativity, and His Surprising Thoughts on God

In Light of Today’s Scientific Achievements, Do We Need God Anymore? Einstein’s revolutionary scientific ideas have transformed our world, ushering in the nuclear age. The current pace of scientific and technological progress is simply astounding. So is there any place for faith in such a world? Einstein himself gave careful thought to the deepest questions of life. His towering intellectual status means he is someone worth listening to when we think through the big questions of life: Can science answer all our questions? Why is religion so important in life? - How can we hold together science and faith? In this book, McGrath examines the life and work of Einstein, explaining his scientific significance and considering what Einstein did and did not believe about science, religion, and the meaning of life. A Theory of Everything (That Matters) is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the role of faith in a world where science and technology govern our lives. McGrath, professor of science and religion at Oxford University, provides an excellent study of Einstein’s theories in relation to his beliefs about God. McGrath explains the scientific achievements of Isaac Newton that dominated the world of physics while Einstein was working as an assistant in a Swiss patent shop in 1905. That year, Einstein published an article that would “overthrow” Newtonian ideas, in which he proposed that light was composed of particles and that each particle’s energy could be measured by the frequency of its electromagnetic radiation. McGrath then lays out Einstein’s subsequent work, article-by-article, establishing his theory of special relativity. Though Einstein revolutionized physics, he failed in his quest to discover a “grand theory of everything,” a problem he wrestled with until his death. While Einstein did not believe in a personal God, McGrath writes, he was driven by a “cosmic religious feeling” that became his “strongest and noblest motive for scientific research.” McGrath, a Christian, encourages other Christians to consider Einstein’s teachings as a mechanism for thinking about their own ideas regarding the relationship between science, religion, and the “meaning of everything.” This analysis of Einstein’s ideas will appeal to any Christian reader looking to contemplate connections between God and the unresolved mysteries of scientific discovery. Publishers Weekly Albert Einstein remains the world’s favorite genius. He has appeared on the cover of Time magazine no fewer than six times and was lionized as its Person of the Century in 1999. Einstein’s equation E = mc 2 ―along with his trademark hairstyle―has found its way onto T-shirts and billboards. Yet while Einstein is universally recognized as a genius, his ideas can still mystify us, even a century later. This concise book sets out to explain in accessible terms Einstein’s revolutionary scientific ideas, which still shape our world today. Nobody thinks a scientific genius is infallible. Still, Einstein’s genius status means he is profoundly worth listening to, especially when thinking about how we make sense of our universe and God. This book takes seriously Einstein’s fascination with a “big picture” of our world―if you like, a theory of everything that matters. Einstein is a dialogue partner whose reflections may help us move beyond the fragmentation of ideas and values that has become such a core feature of our own day. Let’s begin that conversation. Alister McGrath, one of the world’s leading Christian theologians, is Andreas Idreos professor of science and religion at Oxford University. Previously he was professor of historical theology at Oxford University and is currently senior research fellow at Harris Manchester at Oxford. A Theory of Everything (That Matters) A Brief Guide to Einstein, Relativity, and His Surprising Thoughts on God By Alister McGrath, Jonathan Schindler Tyndale House Publishers Copyright © 2019 Alister McGrath All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4964-3807-2 Contents Introduction Albert Einstein: The World's Favorite Genius, ix, Chapter 1 Approaching Einstein: The Wonder of Nature, 1, Part 1 A Revolution in Science, Chapter 2 The Old World: Newton's Clockwork Universe, 17, Chapter 3 A Scientific Revolutionary: Einstein's Four Papers of 1905, 35, Chapter 4 The Theory of General Relativity: Final Formulation and Confirmation, 79, Part 2 A Theory of Everything (That Matters), Chapter 5 Einstein and the Bigger Picture: Weaving Things Together, 115, Chapter 6 A "Firm Belief in a Superior Mind": Einstein on Religion, 139, Chapter 7 God and a Scientific Universe: Towards a Christian Reading of Einstein, 167, Notes, 189, Works Consulted, 201, About the Author, 217, CHAPTER 1 APPROACHING EINSTEIN: THE WONDER OF NATURE SCIENCE RARELY MAKES the headlines in British news- papers. But in 1919, a year after the end of the Great War, that changed decisively. On Friday, November 7,