The Savior of Science

by Stanley L. Jaki

An award-winning philosopher uncovers the Christian foundations of modern science.

Renowned historian and philosopher of science Stanley Jaki boldly illumines one of the best-kept secrets of science history the vital role theology has historically played in fruitful scientific development.

Beginning with an overview of failed attempts at a sustained science by the ancient cultures of Greece, China, India, and the early Muslim empire, Jaki shows that belief in Christ a belief absent in all these cultures secured for science its only viable birth starting in the High Middle Ages. In the second part of the book Jaki argues that Christian monotheism alone provides the intellectual safeguards for a valid cosmological argument, restores the sense of purpose destroyed by theories of evolution, and secures firm ethical guidelines against fearful abuses of scientific know-how.

Genres: Science, Theology, Religion, Philosophy, History, Nonfiction

263 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1989

About the author

Stanley L. Jaki, a Hungarian-born Catholic priest of the Benedictine Order, was Distinguished University Professor at Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey. With doctorates in theology and physics, he has specialized in the history and philosophy of science. The author of almost forty books and nearly a hundred articles, he served as Gifford Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh and as Fremantle Lecturer at Balliol College, Oxford. He has lectured at major universities in the Unites States, Europe, and Australia. He was a honorary member of the Pontificial Academy of Sciences, membre correspondant of the Académie Nationale des Sciences, Belles-Lettres et Arts of Bourdeaux, and the recipient of the Lecomte du Nouy Prize for 1970 and of the Templeton Prize for 1987. He was among the first to claim that Gödel's incompleteness theorem is relevant for theories of everything (TOE) in theoretical physics.

Reviews

[Alec · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though I agree with his premise, I still somehow found myself unconvinced. Jaki doesn’t make any actual attempt to prove his thesis, he simply asserts it over and over again. Surprisingly sloppy and polemical. Also ignores the contributions of the late antique and early medieval Greek world to European science, especially disappointing since the theory of impetus is heavily emphasized in this book with no credit given to Johannes Philoponus — even though he is mentioned briefly in an unrelated footnote. Cherry picking or ignorance?

[Adam Marischuk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fr. Stanley Jaki, OSB, with PhDs in Theology and Physics wrote a 240 page diatribe against nominalism and scientism more than anything else

As a history of the role the Catholic Church, or Christian faith, has played in science, this book only begins to scratch the surface. It leaves relatively unanswered why modern science is essentially a western development despite being a post nominalism of William of Ockham and David Hume phenomenon. It is ironic that nominalism in philosophy should so easily coexist with a materialist outlook. However, Jaki spends more time pointing out the cognitive-dissonance of the situation than actually explaining the why and how this situation arose.

Additionally, Jaki's dismissal of all other forms of Thomism, such as transcendental Thomism (Aquinkantism) influenced by Kant, is a minor in-fight in the philosophical world and a needless distraction. Even if this is a position I happen to sympathize with, Jaki uses Aquinas as a club and this is rather off-putting.

Written in the cold-war, railing against Darwinism and fighting minute battles rather than the general war, this book seems dated in many respects (even if the discussion of immigration and the population bomb on page 193 is more relevant today than ever).

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I am not giving it 5/5 stars is because some of the material was far beyond me, so I don't feel entitled to comment on it. Stanley Jaki is this overwhelming combination of generalist and specialist. He is able to scrutinize an issue, fact, or ideology on a granular level, and then discuss the same topic in a broad, sweeping context. His footnotes are a reading list and library unto themselves. There is a review on Amazon that accuses Jaki of being too heavy, that Jaki should have tried to exude some Chestertonian lightness and humor. I would not have complained if Jaki's writings were more approachable, but then again, Jaki is a scientist while Chesterton is not. A different level of intensity and detail is expected of Jaki. This book was a very tough read for me. I greatly enjoyed the parts that I understood.

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jaki is both a priest and physicist. In this book he argues that science is doomed and futile unless there is a divine redeemer to inspire and guide humanity. He suggests that the Renaissance of the middle ages which then produced the industrial revolution a few centuries later could not have occurred in a non-Christian society -- intriguing.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting in places. Not as good as his others.