The second law of thermodynamics, entropy, and God

Today some physicists often use the second law of thermodynamics and the concept of entropy to argue that God does not exist. But this is nonsense – silly even – and I will explain why. 

The theoretical physicist Rudolf Clausius, who lived between 1822 - 1888 invented the concept and name "entropy" – it is composed of the Greek words ἐν and τροπή.

Clausius wrote, "I prefer going to the ancient languages for the names of important scientific quantities, so that they may mean the same thing in all living tongues.”

Taken separately, ἐν means "in" while τροπή means "change" or “transformation.” Thus Clausius was thinking that the word pronounced “entropy” meant "in transformation." Today, physicists think of entropy as being related to disorder or information.

But even so, the study of entropy in modern physics continues to be related to the concept of transformation. Entropy is not a metaphysical or theological concept; it is a physical concept, and it only describes the observable physical universe, which is but a shadow, or portion, of the true and complete fundamental reality. 

The physical quantity entropy therefore describes transformation and says nothing about those aspects of reality which are unchanging. We know that God is eternal and unchanging. Paul writes in his Letter to the Hebrews, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13). Thus a concept like entropy tells you nothing about God. Entropy only describes the changing aspect of creation – the observable universe, which physicists study and think about.

So, as a theoretical physicist, I am unconvinced that such physical arguments involving the second law of thermodynamics or entropy can be used to argue against the existence of God. These are statements only about His creation. Therefore, at most, one can use the concept of entropy to argue that the creation is fallen, but as Christians, we already know that.

The majority of physicists today are not religious in the traditional sense, let alone spiritual. Indeed, many are agnostic or atheistic, which influences their philosophy of physics. So, one has to take with caution their philosophies about physics when applied to theological questions. 

That said, there is a perspective to take on the subject of entropy which is quite illuminating. The way of God is often mysterious to men, but we know that what man intends for evil, God uses for good – and that God has the last word. So, let us consider this question from a more spiritual perspective. 

The physical second law of thermodynamics says that the entropy of the physical and observable universe must stay the same or increase. Often, in physics we think of entropy and time as being related; as time increases, for a closed system, entropy tends to increase. Physicists say that the increase of entropy is related to the arrow of time – or that we are perceiving time because of the change in entropy. Again, such statements can be interpreted as only about the creation of God, not about God.

Interestingly, the word ἐντροπή, which is pronounced “entropé,” does not actually mean “transformation.” Only τροπή means “transformation”; the word ἐντροπή actually means “shame,” “disgrace,” and “embarrassment.” In both the Old and New Testament, we find the word ἐντροπή being used in the follows contexts, with reference to the shame – or ἐντροπή – of mankind:

In the Book of Psalms written by King David, he writes, “My dishonor is continually before me, and the shame of my face has covered me” (Psalm 44:15).

In St. Paul the Apostle’s Letter to the Corinthians, he writes, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:34).

Meanwhile, we know that our shame is related to our sins against God. Indeed, the noun τροπή is related to the verb τρέπω, which means “to turn away from.” In the Old Testament, we find that τρέπω is often related to the Hebrew word שׁוּב , pronounced “shuv,” meaning “to turn away from,” often used in the context of turning away from sin, thus to repent. This is of course the very concept of μετάνοια, pronounced “metanoia,” meaning “repentance,” found in the New Testament. Thus the word “entropy” actually has a spiritual meaning, a Christian meaning, which the majority of today’s physicists are most likely unaware of.

When physicists say that due to the second law of thermodynamics, the entropy of a system must stay the same or increase, they are most certainly not thinking about concepts such as shame or sin or repentance. 

Nevertheless, it is a curious irony that we have come to say scientifically with great pride that we know a law of the universe that promises “entropy stays the same or increases,” because the meaning of this statement has this alternative meaning in the context of the original Greek word ἐντροπή; yes our shame is increasing, isn’t it?

Indeed, as time goes on, we do see a kind of principle within the fallen creation that the shame of mankind  – the ἐντροπή or entropé – before God continues to increase because of our sin, and thus if we seek God, our repentance should increase as well. Did Clausius know, when he coined the physical quantity “entropy” that it actually meant shame and can even be related to repentance in this way? He was the son of a Protestant pastor, so it seems possible, but we do not know.

A spiritual interpretation of entropy is this: it is a kind of shame that brings about repentance. So, what is the second law of thermodynamics about? It is clearly a design of God to bring about the repentance of mankind; the turning away from evil and towards God. 

That said, the next time someone uses the second law of thermodynamics to argue against the existence of God, you can ask them if they know what the word entropy actually means in the original Greek language from which it was named. Perhaps this will shame them and their argument and lead them to repentance. 

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners.

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The "intellectual" evidence that God exists