Chance has become an integral part of contemporary science but, for the most part, is still not at home in theology. Theology speaks of a purposeful God while chance, by very definition, seems to signify a total lack of purpose. To suggest the very opposite – that chance lies within the purposes of God – may seem perverse, if not foolhardy, and yet that is precisely what is argued for in this book.

One might have expected that the slow seepage of evolutionary theory or quantum theory into the public consciousness would at least have softened the hard edges of the confrontation. But – to change the metaphor – the Intelligent Design debate has fanned the dying embers into flames. ‘Atheistic evolution’ is now set in stark opposition to the theistic design which Intelligent Design sees as responsible for the wonder of the universe. This, therefore, is an opportune moment to argue again for the positive benefits which flow to theology from seeing chance as an intended part of the creation.

As is so often the case when matters are hotly disputed, the stark conflict between opposites begins to dissolve when we examine them carefully. Much depends on the ‘level’ at which we choose to observe the world. Many of the regularities of nature are built on randomness and much of the seeming randomness around us is like a shower of sparks thrown off by the lawfulness of processes on a larger scale.