John Polkinghorne

physicist, theologian and anglican priest (1930–2021)
Person human Q726724
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John Polkinghorne

Summary

John Polkinghorne is a human[1]. He was born in Weston-super-Mare[2]. He was born on October 16, 1930[3]. He died in Cambridge[4]. He died on March 9, 2021[5]. He worked as a physicist[6], theoretical physicist[7], Anglican priest[8], theologian[9], and priest[10]. He has Wikipedia articles in 17 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[11]

Key Facts

  • John Polkinghorne's place of birth was Weston-super-Mare[2].
  • John Polkinghorne passed away in Cambridge[4].
  • John Polkinghorne was born on October 16, 1930[3].
  • John Polkinghorne died on March 9, 2021[5].
  • John Polkinghorne held citizenship in United Kingdom[12].
  • English was John Polkinghorne's native language[13].
  • John Polkinghorne worked as a physicist[6].
  • John Polkinghorne's professions included theoretical physicist[7].
  • John Polkinghorne worked as an Anglican priest[8].
  • John Polkinghorne worked as a theologian[9].
  • John Polkinghorne worked as a priest[10].
  • John Polkinghorne's field of work was theology[14].
  • John Polkinghorne's field of work was physics[15].
  • John Polkinghorne's field of work was mathematical physics[16].
  • John Polkinghorne held the position of chairperson[17].
  • John Polkinghorne was employed by University of Cambridge[18].
  • Among John Polkinghorne's employers was University of Edinburgh[19].
  • John Polkinghorne was employed by Trinity Hall[20].
  • Among John Polkinghorne's employers was Royal Army Educational Corps[21].
  • John Polkinghorne was educated at University of Cambridge[22].
  • John Polkinghorne's education included a stint at Trinity College[23].
  • John Polkinghorne was educated at Westcott House[24].
  • John Polkinghorne was educated at Elmhurst Junior School[25].
  • John Polkinghorne was educated at The Perse School[26].
  • John Polkinghorne's doctoral advisor was Abdus Salam[27].

Body

Origins and Family

John Polkinghorne's place of birth was Weston-super-Mare[2]. He was born on October 16, 1930[3]. English was his native language[13].

Education

Educated at University of Cambridge[22], a collegiate university[28], in United Kingdom[29], founded in 1209[30], headquartered in Cambridge[31]; Trinity College[23], a college of the University of Cambridge[32], in United Kingdom[33], founded in 1546[34], headquartered in Cambridge[35]; Westcott House[24], a seminary[36], in United Kingdom[37], founded in 1881[38]; Elmhurst Junior School[25], a community school[39], in United Kingdom[40]; and The Perse School[26], an independent school[41], in United Kingdom[42], founded in 1615[43]. Doctoral advisors include Abdus Salam[27], William McKenzie[44], and Paul Dirac[45].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include physicist[6], theoretical physicist[7], Anglican priest[8], theologian[9], and priest[10]. Fields of work include theology[14], an academic discipline[46]; physics[15], a branch of science[47]; and mathematical physics[16], a branch of mathematics[48]. Employers include University of Cambridge[18], a collegiate university[49], in United Kingdom[50], founded in 1209[51], headquartered in Cambridge[52]; University of Edinburgh[19], a public university[53], in United Kingdom[54], founded in 1583[55], headquartered in Edinburgh[56]; Trinity Hall[20], a university building[57], in United Kingdom[58], founded in 1350[59], headquartered in Cambridge[60]; and Royal Army Educational Corps[21], a corps[61], in United Kingdom[62]. John Polkinghorne held the position of chairperson[17]. Doctoral students include Tom Kibble[63], James Stirling[64], Peter Goddard[65], Ian T. Drummond[66], Peter Landshoff[67], and Wojciech Jerzy Zakrzewski[68].

Works and Contributions

Notable works include Faith, Science and Understanding[69], The Way the World Is: Christian Perspective of a Scientist[70], Science and Theology[71], Questions of Truth[72], and Quantum Theory: A Very Short Introduction[73].

Recognition

Awards received include Fellow of the Royal Society[74], a fellowship award[75], in United Kingdom[76]; Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire[77], a grade of an order[78], in United Kingdom[79]; Templeton Prize[80], a religion-related award[81], in United States[82], founded in 1972[83]; and Knight Bachelor[84], a title of honor[85], in United Kingdom[86], founded in 1300[87].

Personal Life

John Polkinghorne's religion is recorded as Anglicanism[88].

Death and Burial

John Polkinghorne died on March 9, 2021[5]. He passed away in Cambridge[4].

Why It Matters

John Polkinghorne has Wikipedia articles in 17 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[11] He is known by 10 alternative names across languages and contexts.[89]

His notable doctoral advisees include Tom Kibble[90], a physicist[91], 1932–2016[92], of United Kingdom[93], awarded the Fellow of the Royal Society[94], specialised in theoretical physics[95] and Peter Goddard[96], a mathematician[97], b. 1945[98], of United Kingdom[99], awarded the Fellow of the Royal Society[100].

FAQs

Where was John Polkinghorne born?

Born in Weston-super-Mare[2], John Polkinghorne…

Where did John Polkinghorne die?

John Polkinghorne died in Cambridge[4].

What did John Polkinghorne do for work?

John Polkinghorne worked as physicist[6], theoretical physicist[7], Anglican priest[8], theologian[9], and priest[10].

Where did John Polkinghorne go to school?

John Polkinghorne was educated at University of Cambridge[22], Trinity College[23], Westcott House[24], and Elmhurst Junior School[25].

What awards did John Polkinghorne receive?

Honors received include Fellow of the Royal Society[74], Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire[77], Templeton Prize[80], and Knight Bachelor[84].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

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Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [90] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [96] . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

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Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [11] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  2. [89] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). John Polkinghorne. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/john-polkinghorne
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Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 4w ago · Jindřich Rubeš · 2026-06-11 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Svkkl authority id p0093163-Polkinghorne-J-C-19302021
    "/* wbcreateclaim-create:1| */ [[Property:P9322]]: p0093163-Polkinghorne-J-C-19302021, [[:toollabs:quickstatements/#/batch/259497|batch #259497]]"
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