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Keating, England: Two Jewish Physicists on Faith, Intelligent Design, and More

David Klinghoffer

I’m so glad that Brian Keating and Jeremy England — two wonderful Jewish physicists, both religious believers and brilliant writers — got together on Dr. Keating’s Into the Impossible podcast to talk about Dr. England’s new book, Every Life Is on Fire: How Thermodynamics Explains the Origins of Living Things. As I hoped, they weren’t shy about talking not just about science but about faith and about Judaism. England, who is also an ordained Orthodox rabbi, has a subtle way in his religious thinking, which I’m not sure I yet fully grasp. I appreciate his point at the end, though, about Moses’ staff and its transformation into a serpent and how that relates to seeing the world scientifically.

This long conversation (1 hour and 48 minutes) would bear watching more than once. I would say the last 48 minutes or so are the most compelling as England talks about his own spiritual journey, the reason for his “tending to reject” arguments for intelligent design, and more. He has engaged in a thoughtful and respectful dialogue with our physicist colleague Brian Miller, and Professor Keating has interacted in a warm and fascinating podcast with Stephen Meyer about Meyer’s Return of the God Hypothesis. Does “thermodynamics explain the origins of living things”? Dr. Miller has explained why he disagrees with Jeremy England on that point. Now what I’d love to see is Meyer in the same room, or on the same podcast, with England. Perhaps Brian Keating would consider hosting the conversation. 😉

David Klinghoffer

Senior Fellow and Editor, Evolution News
David Klinghoffer is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute and the editor of Evolution News & Science Today, the daily voice of Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture, reporting on intelligent design, evolution, and the intersection of science and culture. Klinghoffer is also the author of six books, a former senior editor and literary editor at National Review magazine, and has written for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Seattle Times, Commentary, and other publications. Born in Santa Monica, California, he graduated from Brown University in 1987 with an A.B. magna cum laude in comparative literature and religious studies. David lives near Seattle, Washington, with his wife and children.

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Brian KeatingBrian Millerintelligent designInto the ImpossibleJeremy EnglandJudaismMosesorigin of lifeOrthodox JewsphysicspodcastReturn of the God HypothesisserpentstaffStephen Meyerthermodynamics