
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, evangelicals often took their place among prominent practicing scientists, and their perspectives exerted a considerable impact on the development of modern western science. Over the last century, however, evangelical scientists have become less visible, even as the focus of evangelical engagement has shifted to political and cultural spheres.Evangelicals and Science in Historical Perspective offers the first wide-ranging survey of the history of the encounter between evangelical Protestantism and science. Comprising papers by leading historians of science and religion, this collection shows that the questions of science have been central to the history of evangelicalism in the United States, as well as in Britain and Canada. It will be an invaluable resource for understanding the historical context of contemporary political squabbles, such as the debate over the status of creation science and the teaching of evolution.
This collection investigates the complex, shifting historical relationship between evangelical Protestantism and the development of modern scientific inquiry. The authors, a group of distinguished historians of science and religion, challenge the common assumption of inherent conflict by examining how evangelicals in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were active participants in the scientific community. By analyzing the transition from early scientific engagement to modern cultural and political debates, the text provides a rigorous framework for understanding how theological commitments have influenced, and been influenced by, scientific progress.
What You Will Find
Experts and historians regard this volume as a foundational text for understanding the historical roots of contemporary science-religion tensions. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the depth of the primary source research provided by the contributors.
Page Count:
360
Publication Date:
1999-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
019535396X
ISBN-13:
9780195353969
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