Author Archives: John Pohl

The graduates from the seminary that I attended for my degree have a book club / journal club every 2 months or so. We do the book club online. The attendees have different backgrounds and experiences, and our getting together is a fun, intellectual time. We are meeting this week and will be discussing twoContinue reading “Theology Book Club”

This post may irritate some people, but I have felt impressed to get these words out. Recently, I have heard several Youtube lectures / podcasts in the world of progressive Christianity that concern me greatly. I consider myself a progressive Christian. What does this mean? Here is my personal definition: I accept Jesus Christ asContinue reading “Progressive Christianity and the Risk of Pseudoscience”

Short post today. I am heading out to the Grand Targhee Resort in Alta, Wyoming tomorrow for a several-day conference on open & relational theology (ORTCON25). This is an annual event for those people interested in open & relational theology as well as process theology. This resort lies within the Grand Tetons. This year, IContinue reading “Quick Post for Week & Panexperientialism for Heart Transplant?”

I’m not a theoretical physicist, but I do like to think about the implications of the ideas behind quantum mechanics and general relativity. The math is super complicated. Some of the mathematics I can figure out over time, but often I get very lost and need easy-to-read resources to help me out. Image from UniversityContinue reading “Bell’s Theorem and Panexperientialism”

I have been thinking about my post from last week and wondered if it might be fun to expand on my thoughts. Do “aliens” exist? If we have an infinitely sized universe with a limited number of molecular structure possibilities, then the answer is “yes.” If we have a very, very big universe (current estimateContinue reading ““God of the Gaps” Equals “Aliens Did It”, Part 2”

Recently, I listened to a podcast (“Robinson’s Podcast”) in which the host, Robinson Erhardt interviewed a professor of astronomy at Columbia University named Dr. David Kipping about the possibility of life in the universe. Here is the link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/252-david-kipping-alien-civilizations-megastructures/id1636469402?i=1000712000588 It’s a good listen. Early on, they discuss natural phenomena that are often described as beingContinue reading ““God of the Gaps” Equals “Aliens Did It””

I read a disappointing article in Theology and Science titled “Systematic Evaluation of Recent Research on the Shroud of Turin” (written by Tristan Casabianca). Mr. Casabianca is considered a “Shroud of Turin” expert (whatever that means) with no current academic affiliation. He reports that he was once an atheist but became a Christian once heContinue reading “The Problem of Using Science to “Prove” God”

Currently, I have been reading through Bartley’s book, The Retreat to Commitment. Although it is a book concerning the philosophy of science, it does go into considerable detail about theology, specifically Protestant thinking. This book’s first publication was in 1962, and science has certainly changed since then. Perhaps 21st century theologians, philosophers, and scientists wouldContinue reading “Rationality and Irrationality in Religious Thought”

Carlo Rovelli, the well-known theoretical physicist, just posted this article in Nature titled “Why Bad Philosophy is Stopping Progress in Physics.” Rovelli is known for many things, but his big interest is in the theory of loop quantum gravity. Loop quantum gravity is a theory (currently unproven but potentially testable) that space and time comeContinue reading “Bad Philosophy is Bad for Science and Also for Religion”

Our seminary book club met last week to review an article titled “The Bible as a Two-Testament Collection of Writings in Science-Faith Dialogue.” Here is the link, but unfortunately, it is behind a paywall. Perhaps you can access it through a university or public library. The article was written by William Horst at Fuller TheologicalContinue reading “Science Progresses: Why Not Faith?”