Astrophysicist-Theologian to Discuss Science and Faith at Caltech Friday

Rev. Dr. David Wilkinson spent his early career studying how stars form in distant galaxies. Then he became a Methodist minister. Now he holds doctorates in both theoretical astrophysics and systematic theology—credentials that put him in rare company to address a question that has divided thinkers for centuries: Must science and religion be enemies?

On Friday evening, Wilkinson brings that question to Pasadena. He will discuss his book “God, Stephen Hawking and the Multiverse” at Caltech’s Ramo Auditorium as part of the university’s Behind The Book series, in conversation with Prof. Mark Davis, the Warren and Katharine Schlinger Professor of Chemical Engineering Emeritus. The event runs from 7:30 to 9 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Reservations are recommended.

Wilkinson, a professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University in England, argues that framing science and faith as adversaries misses the point. “Lots of people believe that science and Christian faith are in conflict,” Wilkinson has said. “But I think one of the real problems of the conflict model is it claims that science and theology say exactly the same things about the world. And therefore, if they say different things, one has to be right, and one has to be wrong. I think that’s far too simplistic.”

His path to this position was itself unusual. Wilkinson earned his first PhD in astrophysics at Durham in 1987, writing a thesis on molecular hydrogen in galaxies that related to star formation. He then studied theology at Cambridge while training as a Methodist minister. His second doctorate, in systematic theology, explored how Christian eschatology engages the physical universe.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day. He served as Principal of St John’s College, Durham, from 2006 to 2023 and now directs ECLAS—Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science—a project funded by a £6.2 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The initiative works with church leaders worldwide to engage scientific questions with openness rather than fear.

“A measure of success for me,” Wilkinson has said of his work, “is that we move away from church leaders engaged in science with a sense of fear in their eyes, to a sense of openness and joy in their eyes.”

His conversation partner, Davis, brings his own distinguished credentials. Elected to all three U.S. National Academies—Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine—Davis joined Caltech in 1991 and was named Schlinger Professor in 1993. He is now emeritus.

Behind The Book brings authors to Caltech to discuss their work exploring the intersection of arts, science, and society. An audience Q&A follows each event.

For more information or to make reservations, contact Michael Alexander at events@caltech.edu or (626) 395-4652. Ramo Auditorium is located on the Caltech campus at 332 S. Michigan Ave.

Wilkinson’s Pasadena visit includes a lunchtime conversation Friday at noon sponsored by the Caltech Y, as well as a Sunday morning sermon at First United Methodist Church, 500 E. Colorado Blvd. Both are free and open to the public.