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History of the Conflict Between Religion and Science
This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.
294 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1874
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612 people want to read
About the author
John William Draper
368 books2 followersJohn William Draper was an English-American scientist, philosopher, physician, chemist, historian and photographer.
He was the father of John C. Draper.
He was the father of John C. Draper.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 20, 2015
A great book in terms of the science, but Draper was a man of his time and was heavily influenced by a strong aversion to Catholicism, characteristic of 19th century anti-clericalism. His assertion that Catholics worship Mary is as wrong as to assert that Muslims worship Muhammad - neither believe they are gods and reserve that act of faith for God alone. He was also selective in his choice of examples, he failed to mention that the fathers of most scientific disciplines were themselves believers, and indeed, clerics/priests, eg Mendel, father of genetics, and that Darwin was an Anglican priest. He failed to account for the fact that the renaissance happened in catholic Italy and modernity in Christian Europe. He failed to mention the universities, schools, hospitals and early industries which were begun by the church out of which the later developments grew. He also failed to recognise that the actions of the laity of the church represents the church, not just the church clerics. In any case, the Church learned from its mistakes and it was a pity the author didn't live to see a Fr George Lemaitre formulate the Big Bang theory in the 20th century.
September 24, 2023
The author began with intention to expound on the subject in an impartial manner, but it quickly turns otherwise, as can be attested by highlighted many factitious errors, specially in respect to his knowledge on Islam. The frown in tone is understandable and predictable given that the work is being written at a time when church had gained uncommonly large disapproval over its role in European society, culture and mainly politics. A nice read for overview on historical development of confrontations between church and scientific thought, but with clear nuance of bias.
May 6, 2024
مترجم مستفز. ما أعرف إيش مشكلة المترجمين والأكاديمين والمثقفين العرب. واضح إنهم ما يحترمون أي شيء، لا القارئ ولا المعرفه ولا أي شيء .. ناس عبيطه ما تبغى تشتغل.
July 4, 2014
Good book.
As a note: it's more of a history of the church and it's actions throughout the medieval periods to the present instead of the conflict between religion and science.
However, what it does do is explain the overall suppression of knowledge and how it profited from it which is why and this how the book ties the two together. The loss of absolute power it used to have is more of the driving cause and why it goes after anything that it views as contrary to both minor and major dogma in the faith.
I recommend it to anyone that would like a critical view of western religions as well as how different philosophical views affected religions and the conflicts that arose from it.
As a note: it's more of a history of the church and it's actions throughout the medieval periods to the present instead of the conflict between religion and science.
However, what it does do is explain the overall suppression of knowledge and how it profited from it which is why and this how the book ties the two together. The loss of absolute power it used to have is more of the driving cause and why it goes after anything that it views as contrary to both minor and major dogma in the faith.
I recommend it to anyone that would like a critical view of western religions as well as how different philosophical views affected religions and the conflicts that arose from it.
August 8, 2014
This is one of those outstanding books that appear from time-to-time and exert great influence on contemporary thought. The amazing thing is that so long after its publication some people still remain Catholics! After Pope Pious IX had been exposed by Draper's book one might have expected a mass exodus of adherents. The reason this has not happened must be that still not enough people have read it. Goodreads members' comments suggest that the book is now hard to obtain. It should be kept in print in all major languages and issued to all school libraries.
May 20, 2021
Raportat la anul în care a fost publicată inițial cartea (1874, când teoria evoluționistă a lui Darwin încă nu devenise populară), conținutul cărții este unul extraordinar. Profunzimea și amploarea cercetărilor realizate de John William Draper pe tema aceasta sunt remarcabile (împletind cercetare istorică, antropologie culturală, psihologie și sociologie).
Reeditarea multiplă și traducerile apărute într-o mulțime de limbi dovedesc nevoia societății de a se (re)apropia de umanism și iluminism.
Reeditarea multiplă și traducerile apărute într-o mulțime de limbi dovedesc nevoia societății de a se (re)apropia de umanism și iluminism.
January 11, 2012
Well written and very interesting. The author stuck to Judaism, Christianity and Islam over the last ~2500 years. I would have liked to see more religions included, but most American history books are pretty focused on European history.
March 21, 2021
Written around 1878 in New York, this is a rather turbid exploration of a complex topic. It is a topic that remains highly relevant in the present day. Errors in the OCR digitisation of this book certainly don’t help understand the author’s convoluted style nor his somewhat disjointed argumentation.
Nevertheless, the author presents an interesting view on how the Ancient Greeks’ pragmatism and exploration led to the realisation that the ancient religions of Greece, Persia, and Egypt were mere myths that failed to reliably predict phenomena whereas observational science succeeded in that role. He also postulates that ancient Eastern religions where divinities descend from heaven (incarnation) and ancient Western religions where men rise to divine status (apotheosis) both collapsed under the scrutiny of reason due to their inherent incoherence, but also under the pragmatic pressure of politics and warfare. Growing empires needed more solid foundations to thought processes than religion.
Reason made the Alexandrian conquests possible, and in turn these led to the concentration of the ancient world’s knowledge in the ancient library of Alexandria, where knowledge was systematically curated, cross-referenced, increased, and distributed, for the first time.
On the other hand, Roman decadence also showed the impotence of the old religions, but Roman imperialism saw a pragmatic means of societal control in the emerging monotheism of Christianity, which rivalled the cult of the Emperor but could be exploited to bolster the power of the Emperor. Hence Christianity became a political tool through its absorption of all pagan polytheism (indeed the author powerfully argues the philosophical roots of Christianity were paganised by its rise to power) and its unique ability to be organised in a rigid structure (described as originally communist by the author, which is ironic in this day and age), but its structure was vulnerable to corruption through the wielding of power. Christianity’s temporal rise was matched by its philosophical decline.
Worship of saints and relics is proof of the triumphant return of irrational apotheosis. The original philosophical belief in the venerability and truth of Revelation became a dogma that quickly became antithetical to science and intolerant of any contradiction, which necessarily constituted betrayal of the State. Hence dogmatic Christianity entered into direct conflict with questioning science, which could have been avoided has the original tenets of the faith been adhered to. Christianity quickly destroyed the remainder of the library of Alexandria and forbade the teaching of philosophy, effectively causing the Dark Ages and freezing all thought in Europe for a thousand years.
There follows a chronology of the conflict. For all the author’s stated intent to remain impartial, it is clear that he holds Church doctrines to be indefensibly irrational (or, to be precise, Catholic doctrines, although the Protestant reliance on the truth of scripture is similarly dismissed). In successive chapters the author dismisses the Church doctrines of flatness of the Earth, of the central position of the Earth, of the denial of other suns and planets, of creation on a biblical timescale, the list goes on. Although this book was written at a time when scientific development was still far from present day achievements, the methodology of scientific enquiry was firmly established on foundations laid down by the ancients. The central thrust of the book is a conflict of mindset not accumulated knowledge. Science questions restlessly whereas doctrine accepts meekly and makes even more incoherent apologies for the accepted incoherencies.
From this incoherence of Church doctrine derive all the heretical schisms of the Church, but also the success of Islam, which remained closer to the original tenets of Christianity than the Church and found willing listeners amongst the populations of the Near East and North Africa (the author clearly does not hold with the purely military explanation for Islam’s spread). Just as Christianity was a philosophical reformation of Judaism, Islam was a rational reform of Christianity. And similarly with Christianity, it is only long after its commencement that it became a separate faith. The author also describes the development of a superior philosophical level of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, that has been mercilessly persecuted by the power hungry supposedly in the name of the uneducated masses of the adherents of these religions. The authorities makes use of the aggressive gullibility of the uneducated to hold on to power and hide their misdeeds from the intelligent, whose inherent nature is to question and challenge.
It is startling to realise the immediacy of the conflict between religion and science in the history of the latter half of the 19th century, i.e. the time of writing. Then, the Vatican Council had clearly condemned the reformation and the pursuit of science, and the church was firmly entangled in political upheavals such as the Franco Prussian war and the reunification of Italy. It is a fascinating historical period of vivid importance to the author.
The author extols the triumph of science, through Reformation, Renaissance, voyages of discovery, and the industrial revolution as well as the American independence and the French Revolution. He conveniently forgets the American treatment of native Americans and the shame of slavery in North America driven by industrialisation (except to claim that science ended it). One must wonder, almost a century and a half after this book was written, what the author would have made of the horrors of two mechanical world wars, a supposedly rational communist revolution, the over exploration of the world’s resources leading to environmental catastrophe, overpopulation, and the aggressive return of obscurantism allied to nationalism.
A useful starting point for many enquiries.
Nevertheless, the author presents an interesting view on how the Ancient Greeks’ pragmatism and exploration led to the realisation that the ancient religions of Greece, Persia, and Egypt were mere myths that failed to reliably predict phenomena whereas observational science succeeded in that role. He also postulates that ancient Eastern religions where divinities descend from heaven (incarnation) and ancient Western religions where men rise to divine status (apotheosis) both collapsed under the scrutiny of reason due to their inherent incoherence, but also under the pragmatic pressure of politics and warfare. Growing empires needed more solid foundations to thought processes than religion.
Reason made the Alexandrian conquests possible, and in turn these led to the concentration of the ancient world’s knowledge in the ancient library of Alexandria, where knowledge was systematically curated, cross-referenced, increased, and distributed, for the first time.
On the other hand, Roman decadence also showed the impotence of the old religions, but Roman imperialism saw a pragmatic means of societal control in the emerging monotheism of Christianity, which rivalled the cult of the Emperor but could be exploited to bolster the power of the Emperor. Hence Christianity became a political tool through its absorption of all pagan polytheism (indeed the author powerfully argues the philosophical roots of Christianity were paganised by its rise to power) and its unique ability to be organised in a rigid structure (described as originally communist by the author, which is ironic in this day and age), but its structure was vulnerable to corruption through the wielding of power. Christianity’s temporal rise was matched by its philosophical decline.
Worship of saints and relics is proof of the triumphant return of irrational apotheosis. The original philosophical belief in the venerability and truth of Revelation became a dogma that quickly became antithetical to science and intolerant of any contradiction, which necessarily constituted betrayal of the State. Hence dogmatic Christianity entered into direct conflict with questioning science, which could have been avoided has the original tenets of the faith been adhered to. Christianity quickly destroyed the remainder of the library of Alexandria and forbade the teaching of philosophy, effectively causing the Dark Ages and freezing all thought in Europe for a thousand years.
There follows a chronology of the conflict. For all the author’s stated intent to remain impartial, it is clear that he holds Church doctrines to be indefensibly irrational (or, to be precise, Catholic doctrines, although the Protestant reliance on the truth of scripture is similarly dismissed). In successive chapters the author dismisses the Church doctrines of flatness of the Earth, of the central position of the Earth, of the denial of other suns and planets, of creation on a biblical timescale, the list goes on. Although this book was written at a time when scientific development was still far from present day achievements, the methodology of scientific enquiry was firmly established on foundations laid down by the ancients. The central thrust of the book is a conflict of mindset not accumulated knowledge. Science questions restlessly whereas doctrine accepts meekly and makes even more incoherent apologies for the accepted incoherencies.
From this incoherence of Church doctrine derive all the heretical schisms of the Church, but also the success of Islam, which remained closer to the original tenets of Christianity than the Church and found willing listeners amongst the populations of the Near East and North Africa (the author clearly does not hold with the purely military explanation for Islam’s spread). Just as Christianity was a philosophical reformation of Judaism, Islam was a rational reform of Christianity. And similarly with Christianity, it is only long after its commencement that it became a separate faith. The author also describes the development of a superior philosophical level of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, that has been mercilessly persecuted by the power hungry supposedly in the name of the uneducated masses of the adherents of these religions. The authorities makes use of the aggressive gullibility of the uneducated to hold on to power and hide their misdeeds from the intelligent, whose inherent nature is to question and challenge.
It is startling to realise the immediacy of the conflict between religion and science in the history of the latter half of the 19th century, i.e. the time of writing. Then, the Vatican Council had clearly condemned the reformation and the pursuit of science, and the church was firmly entangled in political upheavals such as the Franco Prussian war and the reunification of Italy. It is a fascinating historical period of vivid importance to the author.
The author extols the triumph of science, through Reformation, Renaissance, voyages of discovery, and the industrial revolution as well as the American independence and the French Revolution. He conveniently forgets the American treatment of native Americans and the shame of slavery in North America driven by industrialisation (except to claim that science ended it). One must wonder, almost a century and a half after this book was written, what the author would have made of the horrors of two mechanical world wars, a supposedly rational communist revolution, the over exploration of the world’s resources leading to environmental catastrophe, overpopulation, and the aggressive return of obscurantism allied to nationalism.
A useful starting point for many enquiries.
November 20, 2025
I consider my time valuable where I put it so I like to do a bit of research on whatever it is before I jump down the rabbit hole. This book is quite a classic on disinformation-with an agenda of discrediting religion over science. Sure there have been some bad examples of those in power controlling religion at the time - and today too. I was listening to “science and the bible” (day 2) by Kris Langham via the app Through the word. He reveals the mistruths and why that were created by some influential scientists back in the 1800s that wanted to distance science from religion. These mistruths are still manifesting today within universities. We’re doomed to repeat the same mistakes if we don’t learn from history (bet you’ve heard that one before) yet here we are today with new generations that have no idea about history and are repeating the same mistakes listening to those who are professing information not based on fact..
April 10, 2021
En general la primera mitad del libro es la mejor. Una lectura muy interesante sobre el origen del cristianismo frente a las culturas mitológicas , el Judaísmo y el Islam. Detallando muy bien sus diferentes reformas y crisis. Una lectura que nos descubre personajes y orígenes de las guerras muy desconocidos para mi al menos.
La segunda mitad del libro ya es menos agradable ya que se nota en exceso su aversión, incluso fobia, al cristianismo. Limitándose únicamente a referenciar el miedo de la iglesia vs a la ciencia en los escritos de aquella, pero sin entrar en ningún detalle sobre los personajes mas importantes y motivos mas razonables de los defensores de la iglesia. Detalle que en cambio si da de los defensores de la ciencia.
Creo que hay lecturas mas transparentes y resumidas que nos explican mejor esta parte de la historia .
La segunda mitad del libro ya es menos agradable ya que se nota en exceso su aversión, incluso fobia, al cristianismo. Limitándose únicamente a referenciar el miedo de la iglesia vs a la ciencia en los escritos de aquella, pero sin entrar en ningún detalle sobre los personajes mas importantes y motivos mas razonables de los defensores de la iglesia. Detalle que en cambio si da de los defensores de la ciencia.
Creo que hay lecturas mas transparentes y resumidas que nos explican mejor esta parte de la historia .
July 30, 2017
Martin's review
I chose 4 stars due to this being written towards the end of the nineteenth century and is slightly prosaic. However, the author has put together a very biased view, one that I strongly agree with, that religion especially of the Italian flavour, cannot withstand hard scientific scrutiny. Perhaps I do not understand religious faith, being an engineer I trust what can be proved.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has an incling that all that is religious is not the absolute truth, so come on sheeple, get out of your comfort zone!
I chose 4 stars due to this being written towards the end of the nineteenth century and is slightly prosaic. However, the author has put together a very biased view, one that I strongly agree with, that religion especially of the Italian flavour, cannot withstand hard scientific scrutiny. Perhaps I do not understand religious faith, being an engineer I trust what can be proved.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has an incling that all that is religious is not the absolute truth, so come on sheeple, get out of your comfort zone!
February 16, 2017
This is the popular understanding of Science and Religion. I'm not sure where he got all the sources, I could not find the sources for his writing.
But I wouldn't recommend this book if you want to gain new insight. If you live in the West, then you have the same thought as this book.
Rodney Stark presents a different thesis, worth investigating.
But I wouldn't recommend this book if you want to gain new insight. If you live in the West, then you have the same thought as this book.
Rodney Stark presents a different thesis, worth investigating.
October 22, 2016
Smart excellent
The church is about dominance. It is about unreason on logic and common sense the opposite of science which is common sense reason logic fair thinking. The church during the acquisition was responsible for killing over 30
The church is about dominance. It is about unreason on logic and common sense the opposite of science which is common sense reason logic fair thinking. The church during the acquisition was responsible for killing over 30
September 26, 2007
I stumbled across this book two weekends ago in Vermont, I couldn't get the owner to sell it to me.
If anyone knows readily - where a copy is - that definitely would not suck!
If anyone knows readily - where a copy is - that definitely would not suck!
Want to read
August 12, 2011I have an copy of this that was published in 1876, so I'm excited to read it, but I'm afraid to touch it. It's delicate.
April 18, 2014
intersting book
July 2, 2016
A excellent history of the advancement of science inspite of religion.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews