Quantum Phaith

Obviously, either I do not know how to spell “faith,” or I am making a play on words—like physics. 

A few years ago, I wrote a book with this title (still in print), ISBN 9781257904518. Since this book is about faith and physics, I just simply joined the words: physics + faith = phaith.  The content of the book explains why I joined two seemingly disparate concepts, the physical and the spiritual.

Shortly after publishing the book, I discovered that there is another book entitled Quantum Faith (probably much better than mine). In order to distinguish my work from the other, I decided to write this blog.

If you read the Foreword of the book, you might think I am rather blunt.  I should note here that what appears in the body of the book is entirely my opinion.  It does not represent the view of a Southern Baptist church, were I might be considered heretic, and not churches like Pulpit Rock, where I might be considered a traditionalist.  It does however represent many years of careful study of the mathematical nature of physics and of God’s Word.

I am not a graduate of seminary, not a pastor, or a teacher of religion.  I am a simple (really simple) mathematician.  I went to college at Mercer University in Macon, GA, where I studied Biology and Christianity.  I studied mathematics at the Colorado School of mines for my Masters education, and received my Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of Northern Colorado.  I studied New Testament Greek for a year at Fuller, and taught mathematics, statistics, and operations research at a variety of institutions.

I once had the great privilege of teaching an experimental multivariable calculus and physics course at the United States Military Academy to cadets whom I felt were smarter than I was.  In total, I taught there for six years, and one of the greatest ‘take-aways’ was that some of the nation’s finest young soon-to-be officers are men of great faith—actually of quantum phaith—who allow Christ to work through them for greatness.

I am now working in the financial industry, using logical models to predict various consumer behaviors given certain stimuli.  I have written a few, more technical books, but this one demands a larger readership.

My own faith does not come from books.  In fact, I have heard it said that belief is what someone else teaches you, while faith is something you learn for yourself.  I spent about five years commanding cavalry troops from the platoon to company level during the cold war, and I learned much of my faith while engaged in some very trying experiences on the former Czech border.  I also learned much about faith going through two graduate programs in mathematics, which I was ill prepared for.  My wife, Laurie is also responsible for contributing to my faith education (in a positive way, of course).  Together, we have been through the births of our children, death of siblings and parents, deaths of soldiers we commanded, divorces of friends we love, and many other life tragedies.  I have had two near death experiences with pulmonary emboli, so life has a different meaning for me, and death is not something of which I am afraid.

Quantum Phaith is about what I have discovered about faith, and how my interpretation of mathematics and physics has emerged from that faith.  It is what I am now calling “quantum phaith.”

The emphasis here is how faith made math and physics make sense, not the other way around.  Hence, my a priori is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  So not only do I write with presuppositions—imposed by life and careful study—but under the influence of the Living Savior.  Though the way I earn my living depends greatly upon mathematics and physics—I use them every day—they are not first principles, as we will see later.

Big Bang Theorist, evolutionist, and some creationist will not be happy with the content of this book—it may not be for you.  On the other hand, opponents and proponents may find it entertaining.  It is technical to some extent, but not too technical.  I have not used mathematical formulae or formal theorems—except to restate some well-known ones—and Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park), Jessica Rabbit (Who Framed Roger Rabbit), and Julia Roberts (Conspiracy Theory) all have parts in the story.  Other role players include George Cantor, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Kurt Gödel, and Karl Heisenberg.  The Koch Snowflake, the Mandelbrot Set, Chaos Theory, Quantum Particles, and Number Theory liven up the action.  Though it may not seem, the book is about faith!

In the book I examine inductive reasoning and inductive Bible study.  I explore the Seven Weeks of Daniel, the Four Horsemen (I  mean Equestrians of Revelation), the Beginning, and more.  I lay out a Biblical Model and quantum particle model—the Standard Model—and draw analogies of spiritual things with physical things.

I hope that you will not find this too technical (my grammar checker says it is at a tenth grade reading level).  The most complex math is the Frank Equation (cabbages + some stuff = Frank) in Chapter 4.  I discuss quantum particles, such as quarks and leptons, but I explain these as clearly as possible in the text with words and pictures, or in footnotes.  I cannot pronounce words with more than two syllables, so I have reduced technical terms to the minimum and defined them.  The most difficult part may be the Greek and Hebrew, but the words are spelled out in their English phonics, for example, φωνηω = phoneo—meaning call, from which we get the English word phone.

Mainly, this book is about faith, based on Scripture—Old and New Testaments—and experience.  In speaking of the Old and New Testament, someone has stated,

The New is in the Old concealed

The Old is in the New revealed

The New is in the Old contained

The Old is in the New explained

Jeffrey S. Strickland

President

Simulation Educators

Colorado Springs, CO, “where God spends most of His time”