I have been asked to support my statement that Augustine didn't use the
Bible as a science text--a fair request. Overall, let me refer readers to
the account of Augustine and other patristic authors by David C. Lindberg (a
leading historian of medieval science) in God & Nature (Berkeley, 1986).
More specifically, let me quote Augustine himself, from his "Literal
Intepretation of Genesis," 1.19.39, as quoted by Lindberg on p. 31 of the
above book:
"Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the
heavens, and the other elements of this world, about the motion and orbit of
the stars and even their size and relative positions, about the predictable
eclipses of the sun and moon, the cycles of the years and the seasons,...
and this knowledge he holds as certain from reason and experience. Now it
is a disgraceful and dangerous thing for an infidel to hear a Christian,
presumably giving the meaning of Holy Scripture, talking nonsense on these
topics; and we should take all means to prevent such an embarrassing
situation, in which people show up vast ignorance in a Christian and laugh
it to scorn."
I don't suppose Mr Mortenson is within earshot?
Ted Davis
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Feb 08 2002 - 13:29:18 EST