Kronecker, Einstein and the Cross

Two eminent scientists, the German mathematician Leopold Kronecker, and the German-born theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, made comments in which they refer to God in their respective rebuttals of the theory of transcendental and transfinite numbers and of the consequences of quantum theory. The apparent contradiction between the objective activity of science and the subjective experience of faith has been the subject of numerous commentaries over the centuries by scientists and philosophers, and a source of inspiration to many artists. In this paper, I present a brief review of this science vs. God dichotomy, starting with Voltaire’s “God the watchmaker”. I then describe my two recent artworks, The Necessity of Chance and The Work of Man, inspired by Kronecker’s and Einstein’s statements. Finally, I explain why I, an atheist, chose the Christian cross as symbol for these artworks.