'Einstein's God' Starts January Series
Albert Einstein did not believe in a personal God who rewarded and punished his creatures, and yet the world-renowned physicist did believe, among other things, in the “mystery of eternity of life” as well as in “the marvelous structure of reality,” said Krista Tippett, host of the popular National Public Radio program “On Being.”
Tippett, a former journalist and graduate of Yale Divinity School, spoke about Einstein, and many other scientists and how science interacts with religious faith in a presentation titled “Einstein’s God – Conversations About Science and the Human Spirit” that she gave as the kick-off speaker Wednesday for Calvin College’s annual January Series.
The title of her talk is also the title of her new book.
In her noon-time talk, she discussed similarities between science and religion and what people can learn from each. “Science and religion together help inform all of life in its totality,” she said.
“Something eternal lies behind what both science and religion have to teach. We do them a disservice in this culture by reducing discussion about them to debates and sound bites.”
Tippett’s book contains interviews with13 guests from her radio program: physicists, physicians, psychologists, authors, poets, educators, and clergy, all of whom offer their perspectives on the human search for meaning and understanding. Some are religious believers and others are simply passionate about learning about what makes up the universe.
“Even most of the religious people among us are steeped in science, in the ever-involving technology at the center of our lives,” she said.
The granddaughter of a Baptist preacher, Tippett had many questions that weren’t answered by the church she attended as a youth. Today, she says, she finds herself much more interested in the great mysteries of existence and not the rules for living.
“I appreciate more and more the notion of mystery being right alongside what we see as truth. We’re living in a moment when we are poised to learn so much more . . . We don’t know what is essential and amazing that is happening right now that will keep us alive and sustainable 100 years from now,” she said in her speech.
Once she left home for college and then a career as an overseas correspondent, faith in God was not a subject she thought much about. She says she was probably an agnostic at the time, but didn’t give the topic enough thought to seriously claim that “label.” Since then, her ideas on spiritual matters have changed.
“I have less and less patience with religious abstractions that are utterly disconnected from the world, from how we live every day,” she said.
Tippett’s show airs on more than 200 public radio stations in the U.S. and internationally via the web. “Through her show and her writing she has endeavored to enliven public discussion about the intersections of spirituality, faith and everyday life,” says a Calvin College news release.
Winner of a Peabody award for her show, formerly known as “Speaking of Faith,” Tippett took to the stage at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the newly remodeled Covenant Fine Arts Center auditorium.
Calvin’s 24th annual January Series runs through Tuesday, January 25, 2011. Following Tippett will be an award-winning lineup of speakers discussing a range of topics, including social justice, environmental justice, and the future of the U.S. public education system, to name a few.
The lectures will be held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. EST Monday through Friday. They will also be webcast to 30 remote locations continent-wide and overseas in Lithuania. Admission is free and all talks are open to the public.
For a complete list of remote sites and a full lineup of the speakers, visit the January Series website at http://www.calvin.edu/january.
Also in 2011, Calvin’s TV interview show “Inner Compass” will feature one-on-one interviews with 10 of the January Series speakers. The interviews will air on both local and national PBS stations.
