Galileo Galilei

In The Faith of a Scientist, Galileo serves as a case study for the book’s argument that scientific revolutions leave essential religion intact. The book recounts that when Galileo verified the theories of Copernicus and said the earth moved about the sun — so it could no longer be considered the center of creation — “there were bigots ready to burn him at the stake.” But once “the smoke of battle cleared away and men looked at matters calmly, it became apparent that nothing essential had been lost. A lot of human philosophy disappeared, but it turned out to be unnecessary.” Galileo’s conflict thus illustrates the author’s thesis that discoveries which appear to threaten faith ultimately dislodge only inessential human philosophy, not religion itself.

Context: Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist, and engineer whose telescopic observations supported the Copernican heliocentric model, leading to his condemnation by the Roman Inquisition.

Where this appears

• The Faith of a Scientist — invoked as the figure whose confirmation of Copernicus threatened, but ultimately left intact, what the book calls essential religion