The Inconvenient Relation Between Religion and Science: The Prevalence of the Heliocentric Theory

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleThe Inconvenient Relation Between Religion and Science: The Prevalence of the Heliocentric Theory
3. Language term English
4. lemma author Tampakis, Kostas
5. lemma category History and philosophy of science - Modes of interaction
6. lemma work The Inconvenient Relation Between Religion and Science: The Prevalence of the Heliocentric Theory
7. lemma manifestations European Journal of Science and Theology
8. Keywords Heliocentric theory - Conflict thesis - Western Christianity - Positivism
9. Url Click Here
10. Lemma body

    1. This article discusses the attitude of the Western Christian Churches towards heliocentric theory, which is seen as a distinct one of the Orthodox Church.  It also aims to provide reasons for what the authors see as an antagonistic and hostile relationship. The authors take the stance that Western Church was hostile to the introduction of the Heliocentric theory proposed by Copernicus, and of science in general, because it was at odds with the Old Testament and with the philosophy of Aristotle. They cite the examples of Giordano Bruno and Galileo Galilei, while identifying Jean Buridan, Nicole d’Oresme and Nicolaus Cusanus as Greek scholars who helped formulate the new view. Finally, they seem to adopt Wilhelm Windelband ‘s view that the Christian worldview was inherently human-centered and thus, especially receptive to a Geocentric model.  At the very end, the authors propose a solution for what they see as a problematic relation between science and religion. They indicate that science should adopt a positivist world view, as articulated by Moritz Schlick, Otto Neurath, Kurt Gödel, Rudolf Carnap and others, while religion should be seen as dealing with God, who is beyond the limits of Science and who reveals Himself. Finally, following the words of theologian G.N. Filias, they note again the Orthodox tradition, the clericalism of the Roman Church and the absence of clerical power in the Protestant denominations did not developed and that probably explains why Orthodoxy did not experience situations like the Roman Catholic medieval society. The authors do not seem to cite modern historical scholarship on the subjects of science in the Middle Ages, the development of the University or the works and lives of Galileo and Bruno.