A Spiritual Theory of Everything? Sir Arthur Eddington’s Quest to Unite Knowledge of the Universe

Mckee, Samuel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1813-0521 and Reynolds, Jon (2025) A Spiritual Theory of Everything? Sir Arthur Eddington’s Quest to Unite Knowledge of the Universe. Science and Christian Belief, 37 (1). pp. 7-16. ISSN 0954-4194

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Abstract

Sir Arthur Eddington (1882-1944) was a prominent Quaker astrophysicist at Cambridge University who made an extraordinary impact on inter-war physics, helping to communicate relativity, cosmology and quantum physics to a popular audience. He was also a prolific science communicator whose philosophical reflections on the meaning of the new physics captivated global audiences. His quest for a theory of everything, though unsuccessful, came from his conviction that the nature of ultimate reality was spiritual, and is underappreciated for its historical impact. Much can be learned from his legacy of trying to harmonize science and faith to a larger audience searching for meaning. Eddington’s ambitious attempt at a Christian theory of everything deserves further examination and can still teach us much about our approach to science and religion.