John Polkinghorne remembers the day when some of his colleagues thought he had lost his mind. He was already famous as a physicist for his work in helping explain the existence of quarks and gluons — the world’s smallest known particles. He was a member of England’s Royal Society, one of the highest honors bestowed on a scientist — one of whom was Isaac Newton. Polkinghorne’s students at Cambridge University had likewise moved into leading roles in scientific research. It was the end of the academic year, and he and some colleagues had gathered in his office for a meeting. At the conclusion, they gathered their papers, ready to leave. “Before you go,” Polkinghorne said, “I have something to tell you.” The tiny audience settled back into their chairs. “I am leaving the university to enter the priesthood. I will be enrolling in seminary next year.” There was stunned silence in the room for several seconds, then murmuring — some of it kindly supportive. The lone Scotsman in the audience, an atheist, was both wistful and wary: “You don’t know what you’re doing,” he said. Others later wondered if Polkinghorne was committing intellectual suicide. His decision brought to light a much larger question that has been discussed for centuries, well before Darwin and Dawkins: “What is the relationship between faith and science?” Polkinghorne left Cambridge, became a priest in the Anglican Church in the 1980s, and served the village of Blean, just up the hill from the Canterbury Cathedral. Years later, he returned to Cambridge, first as a chaplain to one of the colleges, and eventually became president of Queens College, a position he held until he retired. After leaving the world of physics, he became known for his astute writings on how faith and science can live in harmony with one another. He has written more than 30 books on theology and science (and the relationship between the two), served on national boards to determine ethical standards for scientific research, and was knighted by the Queen for his contributions in ethics and science. He was also awarded the Templeton Prize — the highest honor given in regard to the relationship between science and religion. On Nov. 14-17, he will be on the campus of Point Loma Nazarene University for a public forum and lecture series. “He’s the most respected voice out there. This is a very big deal for San Diego, for the Church of the Nazarene and for PLNU,” said Dr. Darrel Falk, professor of biology at PLNU and author of “Coming to Peace with Science.” — Contributed by Dr. Dean Nelson, director of PLNU’s journalism program. His latest book, “Quantum Leap: How John Polkinghorne found God in Science and Religion,” written with Karl Giberson, will be released in 2011 by Lion-Hudson Press of Oxford. AN AFTERNOON WITH THE REV. DR. JOHN POLKINGHORNE • WHEN: 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 14 • WHERE: Crill Performance Hall of PLNU’s Cooper Music Building, 3900 Lomaland Drive • COST: $10 for members of the public • INFORMATION: Call (619) 849-2410, or visit www.pointloma.edu/WileyLectures