Science and Religion in the 17th Century The Interaction between Science and Religion in the Seventeenth Century:

Transforming our World

The world we know today has been shaped by many important events. Some people may see the industrial and the technological revolutions of the past two centuries as central pillars that have helped humanity not only survive, but also advance greatly. Others may see political revolutions as central to our society's progress, be they wars for independence in the colonies of the 20th century, or be they the mother of drastic political change, the French Revolution. Others yet may believe that cultural revolutions, such as the Enlightenment of the 18th century, a phenomenon that spurred great change and bore great thinkers, truly altered society. However, above all, one must note that without the interaction between science and religion and the issues this brought to light in the 16th and 17th centuries, none of the afore-mentioned "revolutions" would have been possible. It is thus undoubtedly true that the intellectuals, and especially the scientists, who lived during these times aided to the great advancement of humankind.

Modern society has developed, in part, because of the struggles of early scientists in the 16th and 17th centuries. These were times of great change, especially in Europe. England was becoming very powerful throughout the continent, particularly due to advancements in Banking and a line of great leaders. Across the ocean, the Americas had been discovered by various explorers, and later settled by both Dutch and English citizens. In order to survive during the 17th century, one had to be hardworking, witty and imaginative. The scientists of this time had all three qualities. [1: Lambert, Tim. England in the 17th Century. Website....

< http://www.localhistories.org/17thcent.html>.]
However, surviving during this period also meant conforming, especially with regard to religion. The 17th century was a time of witch trials and other superstitions, after all; non-conformists were severely punished. Medicine was still unable to explain or cure most illnesses, so man needed hope after his short life, and that hope came from the church, an entity that had been known to promise eternal salvation for a small fee, thus amassing not only wealth but also cultural, and with it, political influence.

The previously mentioned scientists of the 17th century thus had an influential voice with which to contend. However, in addition to their impeccable qualities, these men often had money as well. Otherwise said, they were influential. Eventually, due to their exploration of both earth and space, religion was relegated to shakier ground. Advancements such as the printing press and better or faster ships allowed exploration of previously unknown places and spurred the imagination. Science had a "ready to absorb" population, with respect to scientific development, in this sense. Men such as Nicolaus Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei and Tycho Brahe emerged with new hypotheses about the Earth, the Sun, even the Universe. In other words, these explorers, scientists and other intellectuals were not conforming, and they could not be easily silenced by the church, which posed a great problem for the latter.

Religion and science thus clashed powerfully for the first time during this period, in part because the two entities offered disparate answers to humanity's existence and its place in the universe. Furthermore, once important information was discovered and published, it was not likely that the church would be able to…