Science and Religion, 400 B.C. to A.D. 1550: From Aristotle to Copernicus

by Edward Grant

Historian Edward Grant illuminates how today's scientific culture originated with the religious thinkers of the Middle Ages. In the early centuries of Christianity, Christians studied science and natural philosophy only to the extent that these subjects proved useful for a better understanding of the Christian faith, not to acquire knowledge for its own sake. However, with the influx of Greco-Arabic science and natural philosophy into Western Europe during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the Christian attitude toward science changed dramatically. Despite some tensions in the thirteenth century, the Church and its theologians became favorably disposed toward science and natural philosophy and used them extensively in their theological deliberations.

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

328 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Edward Grant is an American historian of medieval science. He was named a Distinguished Professor in 1983. Other honors include the 1992 George Sarton Medal, for "a lifetime scholarly achievement" as an historian of science.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main reason I give this book three stars is that it felt like too much of an overview, and while it is difficult to do anything else in a book that covers 1150 years, he could have focused on a few topics in a little more detail instead of surveying everything. But I learned a lot from reading this book, especially how complex theological topics (like the Eucharist or angels) began being analyzed through mathematical and logical means, representing almost exactly what modern science would later do with non-theological topics (like gravity).

[John Barlo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good one

[Breck · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book on a topic i love