>CALVIN ON COPERNICUS
>"Who will dare to place the authority of Copernicus above that of the Holy Spirit?" (referring to Psalm 93 v1)
Copernicus is not mentioned in Calvin's commentary on Ps. 93; I do not know if Calvin would have heard of his work when the commentary was written. Calvin does assume geocentrism and a fixed earth in his comments, though he does not claim to derive these positions from the verse and in fact may be citing them as the scientific knowledge of the day.
Elsewhere, Calvin accepts scientific evidence as showing that Scripture is not necessarily scientifically accurate. He is particularly skeptical about snake charming. The topic is discussed to some extent in his comments on Genesis 1, where he sees a superficial conflict between the description of the moon as the second light and astronomical knowledge that the planets were actually greater than the moon and that the moon shone primarily by reflected light. However, he argues that Genesis speaks in everyday language, whereas astronomy aims for scientific precision. He rejects attacking the veracity of either astronomy or Moses on account of this difference.
Thus, I am unsure whether the quote is correct and am certain that Calvin's view of science was at least more nuanced than, if not contrary to, the impression given by that quote.
>GEOLOGY AND GENESIS AT WAR, 1800-1840
>'The hunch that God might not have done precisely as Bishop Ussher had suggested [creation in 4004BC],., was beginning to be tested by real thinkers, by rationalists, by radically inclined scientists who were bold enough to challenge both the dogma and the law, the clerics and the courts.'<
>p29 Simon Winchester, The Map that changed the World
>'. in 1862 the eminent physicist Lord Kelvin greatly worried Darwin by 'proving' that the .earth could not possibly be more than 24 million years. Although this estimate was considerably better than the 4004BC date then favoured by churchmen.
>p155 R Dawkins in The Oxford Companion to Animal Behaviour
Creation scientists aren't the only source for porkies. (Based on previous context of the use of this term, I believe it derives from a rhyme with pork pies.) These are historically incorrect claims. Steve Gould's review of Winchester comments on such baloney.
The discussion on the proper volumes for liquid units suggests an explanation for historical British maritime dominance. By using imperial units, they got more miles to the galleon.
Dr. David Campbell
Old Seashells
University of Alabama
Biodiversity & Systematics
Dept. Biological Sciences
Box 870345
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0345 USA
bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com
That is Uncle Joe, taken in the masonic regalia of a Grand Exalted Periwinkle of the Mystic Order of Whelks-P.G. Wodehouse, Romance at Droitgate Spa
Received on Tue Dec 9 14:30:19 2003
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