Science and Religion, 1450-1900: From Copernicus to Darwin

by Richard G. Olson

Galileo. Newton. Darwin. These giants are remembered for their great contributions to one of the most important phenomena in world science. But what is often forgotten is the profound influence on their lives and works of that other great phenomenon of Western Christianity. This book, the first volume in the Greenwood Guides to Science and Religion , explores the many ways in which religion―its ideas, attitudes, practices, and institutions―interacted with science from the beginnings of the Scientific Revolution to the end of the 19th century. Infused with the most up-to-date scholarship, the volume is aimed at the nonspecialist audience, explaining in clear language how inextricably linked science and religion have been during most of the last 500 years.

While discussing how science and religion occasionally clashed, this volume also explores the positive interactions these two institutions have experienced during this seminal period in Western history. The Christian Humanism of the 16th century promoted the new, utilitarian approach to natural knowledge that distinguishes Modern from Medieval science. The Jesuits were instrumental in the development of the experimental and mathematical sciences during the Scientific Revolution. In the 17th century, the English Puritans advocated alchemical science and their opponents, liberal Anglicans, promoted a new, mechanistic approach to the sciences. The geological advances of the 19th century were often religiously motivated; the discoveries of biblical criticism of the same period were inspired by the science of the day. This volume includes a selection of primary source documents to help readers understand the arguments and beliefs of the people of the time, and an annotated bibliography to assist readers in finding further information on the topics.

Genres: Science, History, Nonfiction, Religion, History Of Science

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Erickson]

It was an extremely enlightening book which does not oversimplify relationship between science and religion. For a short book, Olson certainly has achieved many. I would recommend aspiring scientists especially to read this book, since it is often too easy to think that religion and theology has been impediments to scientific progress. This book will show in rather accessible manner that while it is easy to say science and religion are connected in complex ways, the complexity can be displayed on the table. Furthermore, there are many myths about Galileo and others that the author showed was not quite true.

In order to best understand how science and religion are what they are today would require basic understanding of their developments and interaction which unfortunately are too often misunderstood: theologians and scientists alike tend to believe they "know" their history very well - so this book should be both humbling and it has sufficient clarity.