Synopses & Reviews
Europe was in the long slumber of the Dark Ages, the Roman Empire was in tatters, and the Greek language was all but forgotten, until a new breed of wandering scholars began using Aristotle's logic to explain and reinterpret the sacred doctrines of Christianity. Translated by Arab, Jewish, and Christian scholars, Aristotle's ideas spread across Europe like wildfire, offering the scientific point of view that the natural world, including the soul of man, was a proper subject of study. The Catholic Church convulsed, and riots took place in the universities of Paris and Oxford. From this conflict, the modern world began to emerge: The Church came to terms with Aristotle, and the seeds of the scientific age were sown throughout Europe. In the tradition of Galileo's Daughter and How the Irish Saved Civilization, Richard Rubenstein narrates this magnificent story of intellectual giants and revolutionary ideas that began with the rediscovery of Aristotle by Christian scholars and presages our own struggles with faith and reason.
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"Relevant and captivating." (R. Scott Appleby, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame)
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"Anyone who wants to understand where we are going in the great political struggles over religion, read this amazing story."
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"With a lively, engaging style, ARISTOTLE'S CHILDREN is a remarkable book that illuminates the long-standing relations between faith and reason."
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"A compelling account of how the rediscovery of Aristotle changed the way the Western world looked at humans, God, nature." (School Library Journal)
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"Christianity's 'rediscovery' of Aristotle through Muslim Spain...challenges generations today to reclaim the interrelatedness of reason, science and religion."
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PRAISE FOR WHEN JESUS BECAME GOD
"A splendidly dramatic story . . . Rubenstein has turned one of the great fights of history into an engrossing story." - - Jack Miles, author of God: A Biography
"A flesh-and-blood encounter of real people that reads like an
adventure story."-The Christian Science Monitor
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"[An] accomplished, entertaining history of ideas."
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PRAISE FOR ARISTOTLE'S CHILDREN
"A superb storyteller who breathes new life into such fascinating figures as Peter Abelard, Albertus Magnus, St. Thomas Aquinas, Roger Bacon, William of Ockham and Aristotle himself." -Los Angeles Times
Synopsis
Europe was in the long slumber of the Dark Ages, the Roman Empire was in tatters, and the Greek language was all but forgotten, until a group of Arab, Jewish, and Christian scholars rediscovered and translated the works of Aristotle. His ideas spread across Europe like wildfire, offering the scientific point of view that the natural world, including the soul of man, was a proper subject of study. The Catholic Church convulsed, and riots took place at the universities of Paris and Oxford.
Richard Rubenstein recounts with energy and vigor this magnificent story of the intellectual ferment that planted the seeds of the scientific age in Europe and reflects our own struggles with faith and reason.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. [337]-350) and index.
Synopsis
Europe was in the long slumber of the Middle Ages, the Roman Empire was in tatters, and the Greek language was all but forgotten, until a group of twelfth-century scholars rediscovered and translated the works of Aristotle. His ideas spread like wildfire across Europe, offering the scientific view that the natural world, including the soul of man, was a proper subject of study. The rediscovery of these ancient ideas sparked riots and heresy trials, caused major upheavals in the Catholic Church, and also set the stage for today's rift between reason and religion.
In Aristotle's Children, Richard Rubenstein transports us back in history, rendering the controversies of the Middle Ages lively and accessible-and allowing us to understand the philosophical ideas that are fundamental to modern thought.
About the Author
RICHARD E. RUBENSTEIN is professor of conflict resolution and public affairs at George Mason University and an expert on religious conflict. A graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School, he was a Rhodes Scholar and studied at Oxford University. He lives in Fairfax, Virginia.
Table of Contents
PREFACE
PROLOGUE: The Medieval Star-Gate
ONE: "The Master of Those Who Know": ARISTOTLE REDISCOVERED
TWO: The Murder of "Lady Philosophy": HOW THE ANCIENT WISDOM WAS LOST, AND HOW IT WAS FOUND AGAIN
THREE: "His Books Have Wings": PETER ABELARD AND THE REVIVAL OF REASON
FOUR: "He Who Strikes You Dead Will Earn a Blessing": ARISTOTLE AMONG THE HERETICS
FIVE: "Hark, Hark, the Dogs Do Bark": ARISTOTLE AND THE TEACHING FRIARS
SIX: "This Man Understands": THE GREAT DEBATE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PARIS
SEVEN: "Ockham's Razor": THE DIVORCE OF FAITH AND REASON
EIGHT: "God Does Not Have to Move These Circles Anymore": ARISTOTLE AND THE MODERN WORLD
NOTES
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INDEX