Rev. Stanley Jaki, a Hungarian physicist and theologian known for exploring the relationship between modern science and orthodox Christianity (and who won the Templeton Prize in 1987), died yesterday in Madrid, Spain, following a heart attack the day before. He was 84.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Benedictine Priest Stanley Jaki Dies
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Receiver of the Templeton Prize in 1987, Fr. Stanley Jaki was a prolific writer, and was known for his defense of the compatibility between Christianity and modern science, and of showing that the later is actually founded on the former. He was very impressed with Pierre Duhem and his discovery that it was during the Middle Ages that the modern scientific idea of force began in the lectures of Buridan followed by his student Oresme at the University of Paris in the 14th century. This idea of force was only possible because of certain Christian doctrines that no other religions have. He was an exponent of metaphysics which modern science often practices despite denying it. His effective way of treating his atheistic adversaries in the scientific community was to show that their atheism was not based on science at all, but on ideas outside the realm of modern science, usually as philosophical or metaphysical presuppositions.
He was a defender of and a great apologetic for orthodox Catholicism, writing several books on biblical subjects and on Cardinal Newman whom he greatly admired, as well as being an erudite and entertaining speaker, and will be greatly missed.
Fr Stanley Jaki, 1924-2009, RIP
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