Synopses & Reviews
Many people believe that during the Middle Ages Christianity was actively hostile toward science (then known as natural philosophy) and impeded its progress. This comprehensive survey of science and religion during the period between the lives of Aristotle and Copernicus demonstrates how this was not the case. Medieval theologians were not hostile to learning natural philosophy, but embraced it. Had they had not done so, the science that developed during the Scientific Revolution would not--and could not--have occurred. Students and lay readers will learn how the roots of much of the scientific culture of today originated with the religious thinkers of the Middle Ages. Science and Religion, 400 B.C. to A.D. 1550 thoroughly covers the relationship between science and religion in the medieval period, and provides many resources for the student or lay reader:
Discusses how the influx of Greek and Arabic science in the 12th and 13th centuries-- especially the works of Aristotle in logic and natural philosophy--dramatically changed how science was viewed in Western Europe. Demonstrates how medieval universities and their teachers disseminated a positive attitude toward rational inquiry and made it possible for Western Europe to become oriented toward science. Includes primary documents that allow the reader to see how important scholars of the period understood the relationship of science and religion. Provides an annotated bibliography of the most important works on science and religion in the Middle Ages, helping students to study the topic in more detail. BLSynopsis
Many people believe that during the Middle Ages, Christianity was actively hostile toward science (then known as natural philosophy) and impeded its progress. This comprehensive survey of science and religion during the period between the lives of Aristotle and Copernicus demonstrates how this was not the case. Medieval theologians were not hostile to learning natural philosophy, but embraced it. Had they had not done so, the science that developed during the Scientific Revolution would not—and could not—have occurred. Students and lay readers will learn how the roots of much of the scientific culture of today originated with the religious thinkers of the Middle Ages.
Science and Religion, 400 B.C. to A.D. 1550 thoroughly covers the relationship between science and religion in the medieval period, and provides many resources for the student or lay reader. The book discusses how the influx of Greek and Arabic science in the 12th and 13th centuries— especially the works of Aristotle in logic and natural philosophy—dramatically changed how science was viewed in Western Europe. The volume demonstrates how medieval universities and their teachers disseminated a positive attitude toward rational inquiry and made it possible for Western Europe to become oriented toward science.
Synopsis
Demonstrates that, contrary to popular belief, the Church in the Middle Ages viewed science positively, which made the later success of the Scientific Revolution possible.
Synopsis
• Includes primary documents that allow the reader to see how important scholars of the period understood the relationship of science and religion
• Provides an annotated bibliography of the most important works on science and religion in the Middle Ages, helping students to study the topic in more detail
About the Author
EDWARD GRANT is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History and Philosophy of Science at Indiana University, Bloomington. He is the author or editor of ten books, including The Foundations of Modern Science in the Middle Ages and God and Reason in the Middle Ages.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Aristotle and the Beginnings of Two Thousand Years of Natural Philosophy
The Emergence and Development of the Sciences in the Greek World
The First Six Centuries of Christianity: Christian Attitudes Toward Greek Philosophy and Science
The Emergence of a New Europe After the Barbarian Invasions: The Interaction of Reason and Church Authority in the Twelfth Century
The Medieval Universities and the Impact of Aristotle's Natural Philosophy on Learning and Religion in the Thirteenth Century
The Interrelations Between Natural Philosophy and Theology (or Science and Religion) in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries
Relations Between Science and Religion in the Three Great Medieval Civilizations: the Byzantine Empire, Islam, and the Latin West