In the first chapter, "What is There," Peacocke examines the shift in metaphorical language about the nature of reality that has been necessitated by advances in understanding of the physical universe, most particularly the insights gleaned from quantum mechanics.  While humans tend to think of space and time as isolated, irreducible "things" (e.g., this "lamp" and "my childhood"), the quantum world reveals not only an incessant fluxuation in the nature of space/time, but even more importantly a reducibility of all "things" as metaphors to their irreducible constituent elements.  Rather than viewing ourselves and our actions as something that exists "in" space/time or "over-and-against" space/time, the quantum world reveals that who and what we are–in terms of reducibility–are themselves partakers of the fabric of space/time as opposed to alient substances existing therein.  

One obvious conclusion of these observations is that it remains no longer possible to speak of reality (people, events, weather, solar systems, etc.) as a series of potentially related, yet closed "systems."  No matter how small or seemingly significant something may be, its existence comes to bear on the whole of all else that exists–the butterfly in Cuba disturbing the air effects change in the weather patters in Los Angelas.  In this way, space/time is shot through with interconnectedness as all that exists partakes of a shared life and ontology.  

Unfortunately, Peacocke does not make any theological conclusions based on these reflections in this chapter (I assume he is waiting for later development).  Given his penchant for process theology, I can imagine the direction he will go.  However, I think some preliminary observations are noteworthy.

First, for the doctrine of creation, this notion of "interconnectedness" is extremely promising.  Christians affirm that God created ALL things good.  As "good," it is apparent that the objects of such a designation are imbued with an intrinsic worth in that God would a.) create and b.) proclaim that which is created, exhaustively, "good."  Theologically, this divine imbuing of worth requires a reorientation of our own valuations of creation.  Rather than viewing the creation as an object of consumption–a commodity with which we can choose to do as we please–this divine "valuing" of creation demands our respect and bids us to find the beauty, goodness and worth in creation which God has instilled within it.  Moreover, over and against the human tendancy to valuate only human life as possessing inherent worth, such a perspective of the interconnected divine valution of creation calls us to structure our lives, work and pursuits in such a way as to affirm–not deny–the same.

In the same way, these considerations also hold great promise for a re-appropriation of the ancient Christian understanding of atonement as recapitulation.  Often, atonement theology tends to focus myopically on the human person, more precisely on the fate of the abstracted "soul."  By incorporating these considerations about the interconnected goodness of creation, however, such a narrow and specie-istic conception of atonement no longer remains tenable.  As opposed to only speaking of the salvation of the human soul, an atonement theology which takes seriously the goodness of God's creation and the universality of Christ's redemptive work recognizes that far and above speaking only of human persons, the atonement of Christ is the recreative work of God in history, the recapitulating of the goodness of God's creation which has been distorted by human sinfulness.  Moreover, such conclusions remove atonement as becoming commoditized, as if it is the possession of human persons.  Quite to the contrary, this reorientation of atonement outlined above views the atoning work of Christ as something in which humans participate with the rest of creation, not something which they grasp and possess to the exclusion of all that which God has declared "good."

And finally, regarding the resurrection, much of what has been said above is equally true.  Instead of reducing the resurrection and "heaven" to considerations of the exclusivity of relationship between God and humans alone, the interconnectedness of God's good creation proclaims that the recapitulating work of Christ in atonement is the groundwork for the resurrection–the recreation–of that which God has created good.  Just as atonement is not the exclusive possession of human persons, neither is resurrection the sole property of the human soul.  Rather, as God in Christ redeems ALL that which God has created, so too is the resurrection–the "new heaven and new earth"–necessarily encompassing of that which God has created.

Obviously, these are only some extremly brief and necessarily incomplete conclusions.  However, I think they sufficiently illustrate the promise of the course which Peacocke has chosen to pursue in his work.  I am looking forward to the remaining chapters!