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Galileo Goes to Jail: And Other Myths about Science and Religion
If we want nonscientists and opinion-makers in the press, the lab, and the pulpit to take a fresh look at the relationship between science and religion, Ronald Numbers suggests that we must first dispense with the hoary myths that have masqueraded too long as historical truths.
Until about the 1970s, the dominant narrative in the history of science had long been that of sc
...moreHardcover, 302 pages
Published
March 15th 2009
by Harvard University Press
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Myth is a strong word that requires a certain amount of demystification before seeing how it applies to the subtitle of this commendable collection. As a literary form, a myth is a sort of cosmic story. To be much more specific than that simply indicates what sort of myth one would be talking about. So taken, what truth one might find in a myth lies behind the story, and that truth ought to be genuinely profound. Conventionally the idea of myth tends to weigh more on the aspect of something bein...more
This book is a collection of essays on various misconceptions in science and religion. The book has no discernible agenda -- it presents roughly as many difficulties with science-friendly myths as with religion-friendly myths. The collection of authors who contributed to the volume span the range from agnostic to practicing Catholic and mainline Protestant, also two evangelicals, one Islamic scholar and one Buddhist.
Some of the more interesting essays include:
1. "Th...more
Some of the more interesting essays include:
1. "Th...more
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Like many anthologies, this book was a mixed bag. The debunking of certain myths was very helpful, particularly "Medieval Christians taught that the Earth was flat," "Copernicanism demoted humans from the center of the cosmos," and "Descartes originated the mind-body distinction." The book may be worth a gander for those chapters alone. The more the writers got into twentieth- and twenty-first century live wire issues, though, the less helpful I found it. The Int...more
Skimming. Rather academic for me. And kinda hard to follow as each chapter is a separate myth & refutation, by a different author. The thing is, I'd not heard of many of these myths in the first place, so the refutation is irrelevant. And even if it weren't, these essays are awfully dry. Maybe Jesuits and historians etc. would get more out of them.
The chapter I'm about to scan is titled "That the church denounced anesthesia during childbirth on biblical grounds." Um, ...more
The chapter I'm about to scan is titled "That the church denounced anesthesia during childbirth on biblical grounds." Um, ...more
I was really enjoying this book - a collection of essays by historians of science on the myths that permeate the discussion of science & religion from both sides - but it had to go back to the library as someone else had requested it.
So, I requested it back and will finish it later this year.
The book seems extremely well balanced - the variety of authors means that a wide diversity of viewpoints is represented. What they all pretty much agree on is that the "war twi...more
So, I requested it back and will finish it later this year.
The book seems extremely well balanced - the variety of authors means that a wide diversity of viewpoints is represented. What they all pretty much agree on is that the "war twi...more
Margaret Sankey
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Mustering heavy firepower against a variety of sweeping straw men, this collection of essays makes my usual point that history is never as simple as ""the Catholic Church hated science."" Anglican parsons collected fossils, Jesuits had astronomical observatories in China, Darwin did not recant on his deathbed, the Scopes trial was not as depicted in _Inherit the Wind_ and generally, the best way to move science ahead is for an institution (benevolent or otherwise) to connect...more
Anyone interested in science/religion issues will find this volume both interesting and useful. Although in some cases adddressing interpretive controversies, for the most part the 25 short essays bring to bear on their subjects the latest findings by scholars in the field. Although published by a university press, the book is addressed to a non-academic audience and is very readable.
Some essays better than others, but none of them bad... only some don't exactly debunk the myth for which they are titled. Recommended for anyone who is remotely interested in the history of science--- a fun easy read to pick up from time to time since all 25 essays are under 3000 words.
A long-needed book. I have seen some refutations of myths included in this book in other places, but never before have I found a compilation. A classical example is how mistruths become accepted and propogated.
all sorts of interesting research into scientific myths. the articles are short and digestible. good travel/commuter reading. thought provoking and accessible.
Interesting collection of essays on the topic. Refreshing in that it neither attacks nor endorses sides of the given issues that it addresses. Eye-opening in that it reveals how popular myth turns into science if it is repeated often enough. Amazing how many "truths" I learned during my education.
Interesting series of articles about science "versus" religion.
not quite as interesting as the title.
There are a lot of interesting myths out there regarding science and religion. I was most surprised to find that the "clockwork universe" was not a concept that Isaac Newton penned. He held no such belief of God as an absent clockmaker.
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