Galileo Goes to Jail and Other Myths about Science and Religion

Ronald L. Numbers, Hilldale Professor Emeritus of the History of Science and Medicine Ronald L Numbers

Harvard University Press, 2009 - Religion - 302 pages

Ronald Numbers has recruited the leading scholars in this new history of science to puncture the myths, from Galileo's incarceration to Darwin's deathbed conversion to Einstein's belief in a personal God who "didn't play dice with the universe." Each chapter in Galileo Goes to Jail shows how much we have to gain by seeing beyond the myths.

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LibraryThing Review

User Review  - LudieGrace - LibraryThing

Like many anthologies, this book was a mixed bag. The debunking of certain myths was very helpful, particularly "Medieval Christians taught that the Earth was flat," "Copernicanism demoted humans from ...

Galileo goes to jail: and other myths about science and religion

User Review  - Not Available - Book Verdict

Verdict: An illuminating study of the relationship between science and religion. Recommended without reservation for all public and especially academic libraries. Background: Funded by the Templeton ...

Contents

• Introduction Ronald L Numbers: 1
• Myth 1 That the Rise of Christianity Was Responsible for the Demise of Ancient Science David C Lindberg: 8
• Myth 2 That the Medieval Christian Church Suppressed the Growth of Science Michael H Shank: 19
• Myth 3 That Medieval Christians Taught That the Earth Was Flat Lesley B Cormack: 28
• Myth 4 That Medieval Islamic Culture Was Inhospitable to Science Syed Nomanul Haq: 35
• Myth 5 That the Medieval Church Prohibited Human Dissection Katharine Park: 43
• Myth 6 That Copernicanism Demoted Humans from the Center of the Cosmos Dennis R Danielson: 50
• Myth 7 That Giordano Bruno Was the First Martyr of Modern Science Jole Shackelford: 59
• Myth 8 That Galileo Was Imprisoned and Tortured for Advocating Copernicanism Maurice A Finocchiaro: 68
• Myth 9 That Christianity Gave Birth to Modern Science Noah J Efron: 79
• Myth 10 That the Scientific Revolution Liberated Science from Religion Margaret J Osler: 90
• Myth 11 That Catholics Did Not Contribute to the Scientific Revolution Lawrence M Principe: 99
• Myth 12 That René Descartes Originated the Mind Body Distinction Peter Harrison: 107
• Myth 13 That Isaac Newtons Mechanistic Cosmology Eliminated the Need for God Edward B Davis: 115
• Myth 14 That the Church Denounced Anesthesia in Childbirth on Biblical Grounds Rennie B Schoepflin: 123
• Myth 15 That the Theory of Organic Evolution Is Based on Circular Reasoning Nicolaas A Rupke: 131
• Myth 16 That Evolution Destroyed Darwins Faith in ChristianityUntil He Reconverted on His Deathbed James Moore: 142
• Myth 17 That Huxley Defeated Wilberforce in Their Debate over Evolution and Religion David N Livingstone: 152
• Myth 18 That Darwin Destroyed Natural Theology Jon H Roberts: 161
• Myth 19 That Darwin and Haeckel Were Complicit in Nazi Biology Robert J Richards: 170
• Myth 20 That the Scopes Trial Ended in Defeat for Antievolutionism Edward J Larson: 178
• Myth 21 That Einstein Believed in a Personal God Matthew Stanley: 187
• Myth 22 That Quantum Physics Demonstrated the Doctrine of Free Will Daniel Patrick Thurs: 196
• Myth 23 That Intelligent Design Represents a Scientific Challenge to Evolution Michael Ruse: 206
• Myth 24 That Creationism Is a Uniquely American Phenomenon Ronald L Numbers: 215
• Myth 25 That Modern Science Has Secularized Western Culture John Hedley Brooke: 224
• Notes: 235
• List of Contributors: 285
• Index: 291

About the author

Ronald L. Numbers is Hilldale Professor Emeritus of the History of Science and Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Ronald L. Numbers is Hilldale Professor Emeritus of the History of Science and Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Galileo Goes to Jail and Other Myths about Science and Religion; Issue 74 of ISSR Library
• Editors: Ronald L. Numbers, Hilldale Professor Emeritus of the History of Science and Medicine Ronald L Numbers
• Contributor: International Society for Science and Religion
• Edition: reprint
• Publisher: Harvard University Press, 2009
• ISBN: 0674033272, 9780674033276
• Length: 302 pages
• Subjects: Religion / General; Religion / History; Religion / Religion & Science; Science / History