Publisher's Synopsis
Ronald Numbers is one of the best known scholars of the relationship between science and religion. In this volume he collects seven of his published papers focusing on Christianity and science. The essays address broad topics such as the popularization of scientific ideas, secularization, and the development of the naturalistic worldview. One essay considers the writings of Charles Hodge, the most influential American Protestant theologian of the 19th century, revealing for the first time the central role that science played in his theology. Another deals with the demise of Bishop Ussher's "young earth" cosmology, especially among evangelical Christians. Taken together, these accessible and authoritative essays form a perfect introduction to Christian attitudes towards science since the 17th century.
