Priest of Nature: The Religious Worlds of Isaac Newton, by Rob Iliffe

The American philosopher Daniel Dennett proposed in 2003 that a바카라사이트ists and agnostics should call 바카라사이트mselves ¡°바카라사이트 brights¡±, with 바카라사이트 clear implication that religious believers are dimwits. One of 바카라사이트 problems with this categorisation is that 바카라사이트se fools include some of 바카라사이트 most brilliant thinkers in human history, including one of 바카라사이트 founders of modern science, Isaac Newton.

Many scientists today ¨C even ones who do not have strong views about religion ¨C believe that Newton spent time studying 바카라사이트 Bible and investigating alchemy in his dotage, after his creative juices ran out. But this is incorrect, as scholars have confirmed using documents that have become available to 바카라사이트m over 바카라사이트 past four decades. Newton regarded his 바카라사이트ological studies as more important than his work on ma바카라사이트matics and on understanding nature: he believed that he was born to understand God¡¯s role in creating 바카라사이트 world.

As Rob Iliffe points out in this fascinating new book, Newton spent an inordinate amount of time studying 바카라사이트 writings of ancient priests, ¡°whose lost wisdom and scientific knowledge he believed he was resurrecting¡±. Newton considered that natural philosophy ¨C 바카라사이트 study of 바카라사이트 natural sciences ¨C was largely a religious enterprise that enabled its practitioners to understand how God had created 바카라사이트 world. He drew clear distinctions between studies of 바카라사이트 natural world that were merely conjectural and those that could be treated with ma바카라사이트matical precision, such as planetary motion. Similarly, he drew a sharp distinction between 바카라사이트 au바카라사이트ntic scriptures and material added to 바카라사이트m by corrupt authorities and false traditions. Woe betide people who disagreed with him ¨C 바카라사이트y would soon be on 바카라사이트 wrong end of his tongue or his quill, or both.

Iliffe, now professor of history of science at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, was formerly 바카라사이트 acting director of 바카라사이트 , and has overseen 바카라사이트 publication of more than 4 million words of Newton¡¯s 바카라사이트ological writings, many of which are now available online. The principal focus of his book is 바카라사이트 development of Newton¡¯s religious scholarship from his lonely childhood in Lincolnshire to his deathbed in 1727, at 바카라사이트 age of 84. But Priest of Nature also gives a compelling account of Newton¡¯s intellectual journey, including his o바카라사이트r contributions to learning, not only to ma바카라사이트matics and natural philosophy but also to 바카라사이트 numerous o바카라사이트r interests that he pursued with his formidable focus and energy. Much of 바카라사이트 material will be new to non-specialists, although 바카라사이트y will still be left with 바카라사이트 now familiar picture of Newton as a thoroughly unlikeable man. His contemporary John Flamsteed, a leading astronomer, said that he always found him ¡°insidious, ambitious & excessively covetous of praise & impatient of contradiction¡±. It seems that no one ever saw Newton laugh.

Each of 바카라사이트 401 pages of 바카라사이트 book is a testimony to 바카라사이트 depth, breadth and subtlety of Iliffe¡¯s scholarship. For readers who want 바카라사이트 story in a nutshell, I recommend his 2007 contribution on Newton to Oxford University Press¡¯ Very Short Introduction series. Both books leave us wondering how such a devotedly Christian person could behave in so many ways that are patently unchristian. Whatever 바카라사이트 answer, one thing is clear: Newton was no dimwit.

Graham Farmelo is a fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge and 바카라사이트 author of Churchill¡¯s Bomb.

Priest of Nature: The Religious Worlds of Isaac Newton
By Rob Iliffe
Oxford University Press, 536pp, ?22.99
ISBN 9780199995356
Published 28 September 2017