David Wilkinson: Wonder, Meaning, and God in an Age of Science

INAUGURAL PUBLIC LECTURE FJELLSTEDT CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND THEOLOGY 31 AUG 2026

Wonder, meaning, and God in an age of science
David Wilkinson, Director of Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science (ECLAS), Professor of Systematic Theology and PhD in Astrophysics at Durham University

The old myth of conflict between science and faith, although often maintained in the media, is being overtaken with a new humility in different scientific disciplines. The vastness and beauty of the universe raises questions about its intelligibility and the significance of human beings. The predictability and picturability of the clockwork universe of Newton is seen to be a limited description of a universe which is more subtle and supple than many thought. Advances of technology in genetics, AI and space exploration raise questions of ethics and meaning. This is a world of awe and wonder rather than warfare which invites scientists and people of faith into an open and fruitful conversation where both the importance of God and the scientific vocation can be affirmed.

Respondent: Graham Budd, Professor of Palaeobiology, Uppsala University
Moderator: Sara Wrige, Fjellstedt Centre Steering Group, PhD in Physics and priest in the Church of Sweden
Host: Martin Sahlén, Director of the Fjellstedt Centre for Science and Theology