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CURIOUS OBSESSIONS : The History of Science and Spirituality
The frontiers of religion and science have always been pushed forward by curious and obsessed individuals, the monk who kept banned books in a secret library under the nose of the pope; the explorers who searched for the lost tribes of Israel but found a new continent instead; the eccentric doctor and a mad monk who intuited scientific truths well before future generations would prove their theories correct; the archaeologists who discovered the goddess just in time for feminism; the utopians who never quite found what they were looking for; and a current flock of priests and nuns who go wherever knowledge takes them. It is a delicious quirk of history that individuals dismissed by their contemporaries as eccentrics and troublemakers are often those with the most impact on the world. Curious Obsessions in the History of Science and Spirituality is a captivating look at the famous and the forgotten who emerged in times of extreme change and social disruption to change science and spirituality for ever. During our current Covid19 pandemic, this collection is highly relevant to a world still seeking novel answers to the human condition and also drawn to old theories long ago debunked.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
272 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 27, 2011
I found it extremely difficult to give this book a rating. It was extremely well written, well research and flowed. For being so well written I would give it a 4 star rating, but as I didnt enjoy it I would give it a 1 or 2. As you can see I've gone with a 2.
The 'obsessions' focussed on medieval priests with an interest in astronomy, or science, or banned books, all of which met the Catholic Church's disapproval. Hardly a surprise. Nor was it surprising to read of convents filled with young women whose families had disowned them, and of the Mother Superiors who made it their mission to protect these young women from the unwelcomed advances of priests.
So although the book was well written I just didn't learn a great deal, and the book failed to hold my attention.
The 'obsessions' focussed on medieval priests with an interest in astronomy, or science, or banned books, all of which met the Catholic Church's disapproval. Hardly a surprise. Nor was it surprising to read of convents filled with young women whose families had disowned them, and of the Mother Superiors who made it their mission to protect these young women from the unwelcomed advances of priests.
So although the book was well written I just didn't learn a great deal, and the book failed to hold my attention.
Displaying 1 of 1 review