The Russian Orthodox Church and Science

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleРусская православная церковь и наука
3. Language term Russian
4. lemma author Asliturk, Miriam
5. lemma category Modes of interaction > Conflict - Modes of interaction > Orthodox critique of science - Ecumenism and dialogue > Education - Concepts of knowledge and modes of reasoning
6. Publication date 06-02-2017
7. lemma work Хомутский, Виктор [Author]. Русская православная церковь и наука
8. lemma manifestations Исторический дискуссионный клуб
9. Keywords Lomonosov, Mikhail Vasilyevich (1711-1765) - astronomy - Russian Orthodox Church - Heliocentric theory
10. Url Click Here
11. Citations
    1. <p>Хомутский, Виктор (2010). Русская православная церковь и наука. <em>Исторический дискуссионный клуб</em>. Retrieved from: <a href="http://historicaldis.ru/blog/43225958230/Russkaya-pravoslavnaya-tserkov-i-nauka">http://historicaldis.ru/blog/43225958230/Russkaya-pravoslavnaya-tserkov-i-nauka</a> </p>
12. Lemma body

    1. In 1740, the Russian scientist Lomonosov (1711-1765) had promoted publishing Fontenelle’s (1657-1757) book on the plurality of worlds that was later banned by the Russian Orthodox Church’s Synod. One of the Synod’s arguments was that nobody would be able to baptize human beings on Mars if there were any. In 1756, the University of Moscow tried to publish Alexander Pope’s (1688-1744) poem on human nature but the Synod censored the part on plurality of worlds. The metropolitan bishop of Moscow Amvrosy (1708-1771) modified the text so that the book could be published.

       In the same year that the Synod had a conflict with Lomonosov, in 1740, they also wanted to ban Lomonosov’s books but did not succeed. Many representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church did not support the heliocentric worldview until the 20^th century. Russia had censorship-approved school books for children with criticism of the heliocentric worldview until 1815. The last such book was published in 1914 written by priest Yov Nemtsev. In 1886 the Russian Orthodox Church promoted banning the book by French astronomer Camille Flammarion (1842-1925) which contradicted the Church’s view on astronomy.