Big Bang Cosmology and Theology

These pages describe the beginnings of Big Bang theory, the conviction that the universe is expanding from an initial singularity.

They examine the evidence for a Big Bang, and discuss the question is the Big Bang a moment of creation?

They then go on to look at more recent developments under the heading Stephen Hawking and the growth of quantum cosmology- in particular the Hawking-Hartle proposal for the early universe. An important element in the contemporary science-and-religion debate is that of theological responses to quantum cosmology.

The universe appears fine-tuned, as though by a ‘designer.’ We discuss the ‘anthropic coincidences’ and the remarkable uniformity of the universe. Then we discuss responses to this apparent fine-tuning:

• The weak anthropic principle
• Anthropic design arguments
• Many-universes models
• The strong anthropic principle

We then evaluate these responses in analysing the anthropic arguments.

Email link | Feedback | Contributed by: Dr. Christopher Southgate
Source: God, Humanity and the Cosmos  (T&T Clark, 1999)