Historical Overview

Galileo the theologian: Insights from science and religion for today

By Denis O. Lamoureux

I, Galileo, son of the late Vincenzio Galilei of of the dialogue partners is a man Florence, seventy years of age... I have been named “Simplicio,” whom many judged vehemently suspected of heresy, identify as the sitting Pope at that namely of having held and believed that the - sun is the center of the world and motionless cident just waiting to happen. and the earth is not the center and moves... Yet thanks to science-reli - With a sincere heart and unfeigned faith I gion scholarship during the last abjure, curse, and detest the aforesaid errors thirty years, a new and more nu - and heresies. anced picture of the Galileo aair N 22 JUNE 1633 IN THE CON has emerged. Led by the Roman vent of the Minerva and on his Catholic Church, it culminated in knees, Galileo read publicly this documents by Pope John Paul II and O Cardinal Paul Joseph Jean Poupard great day in the history of the Church, or in the that have

assume that science and religion are entrenched a blunt criticism for the Church, in an irreconcilable conflict, and Galileo has “[Copernican astronomy] obliged emerged as the symbol and patron saint of the theologians to examine their own battle between scientific advance and religious criteria of scriptural interpreta - obscurantism. tion. Most of them did not know But was the Galileo aair that simple? And how to do so.” And the Cardinal was it a conflict pitting science against religion? confesses, “ Historical studies during the last twenty-five of judgment, so clear to us today, years have revealed that numerous factors led them to a disciplinary measure contributed to Galileo being tried, convicted, from which Galileo ‘had much to and sentenced to live the last decade of his life imagined, and the printing press disseminated under house arrest. It was a volatile time and he novel ideas throughout the culture— followed aair has also revealed a fascinating aspect of was a volatile personality. Roman Catholicism by the Index of Prohibited Books that attempted the famed astronomer. Galileo had a remark - was fresh o the Protestant Reformation, to protect the faithful from some of these. And ably well-balanced approach to the relationship Aristotle’s views that had been integrated into then there was Galileo. He was arrogant, con - between his Catholicism and his astronomy. In Catholic theology were being challenged, the tentious, and quick to anger. In his most im - particular, and quite surprisingly (or better, discovery of the telescope in 1609 opened a pic- portant book, Dialogue on the Two Chief World ironically), he had a grasp of the principles of ture of the universe far more amazing than ever Systems: Ptolemaic and Copernican (1632), one biblical interpretation far ahead of its time and

FALL 2012 | CELEBRATE! 47 well beyond that of the 16th century theologians strations.” ere is a dire need today for many tion. But would anyone thousands of year ago who judged him. Christians to understand these insights be - have understood? Here I find the Incarnation Much of Galileo’s work on science and cause too often they attempt to draw scientific instructive. God came down and took on our religion is found in a marvellous document truths from Scripture. For example, a recent flesh to become human in the person of Jesus. entitled, “ e Letter to the Grand Duchess study reveals that 51% of American Roman Jesus himself used ancient notions like the Christina” (1615). Let’s examine a few of Catholics believe the creation week in Genesis mustard seed as being the smallest of all seeds Galileo’s insights on the topic. Let us also be 1 is “literally true, meaning it happened that (which it is not; orchid seeds are much smaller) mindful of the modern origins controversy. way word-for-word.” Not surprising, this fig - in parables about the Kingdom of God. So too in Many of our students struggle with biological ure rises to 87% with Evangelical Protestants. biblical revelation: the Holy Spirit used human evolution and some, like me forty years ago, But Galileo encourages us to let evolutionary understandings of nature to reveal God’s love lose their faith because of origins. But over my biologists reveal how living organisms arose for us. Consequently, today we need to sepa- fifteen years of teaching I have found that once and to let biblical theologians proclaim that rate the spiritual, life-changing messages in students learn how Galileo related astronomy God is their Creator. Or as Pope John Paul II Scripture from the ancient scientific vessels and Christianity, they are quickly freed from admonishes, “ e Bible itself speaks to us of that deliver them. the conflict model of science and religion, the origin of the universe and its makeup, not opening the way for a fully integrated world - in order to provide us with a scientific treatise, A lesson for today view based on the best modern evolutionary but in order to state the correct relationships of Galileo summed up his approach to the rela - sciences and the historic Christian faith. man with God and with the universe.” tionship between science and religion, and in particular science and Scripture, by appealing Two divine books Science in scripture is incidental, to Cardinal Baronio’s famed aphorism. “ e e foundation of Galileo’s approach to science accommodated, and ancient intention of the Holy Spirit is to teach us how and religion rests in the Trinitarian God of ough the Bible is not a book of science, it nev- one goes to heaven and not how heaven goes.” Christianity. He writes, “For the Holy Scripture ertheless makes numerous statements about In separating his faith from his astronomy, and nature derive equally from the Godhead, the natural world. For example, the very first Galileo concluded, “ e motion or rest of the the former as the dictation of the Holy Spirit verse of Scripture states, “In the beginning God earth or the sun are not articles of faith. … e and the latter as the most obedient executrix created the heavens and the earth.” Galileo of - primary purpose of the Holy Writ is the worship of God’s orders.” Galileo embraces the classic fers us perspective regarding such passages. of God and the salvation of souls.” Looking back “two divine books” model whereby God is both First, he notes that “Scripture speaks inciden - on the Galileo aair Cardinal Poupard states, the Author of the Book of Scripture and the tally of the earth, water, sun, or other created “Galileo’s judges, incapable of dissociating Creator of the Book of Nature. More specifi - thing … Sciences are discussed in Scripture to a faith from an age-old cosmology, believed quite cally, both of these “books” are divine revela - very minor extent and with disconnected state- wrongly that the adoption of the Copernican tion. Galileo notes, “God reveals Himself to us ments.” In other words, the so-called “science” revolution, was such as to undermine Catholic no less excellently in the eects of nature than in the Bible is not the essence of this revelation. tradition.” Recasting this insight today, could in the sacred words of Scripture; as Tertullian Second, Galileo argues that God came down it be that Christians wrestling with biological perhaps meant when he said, ‘We postulate to level of the biblical writers and readers and evolution are having di culty “dissociating that God ought first to be known by nature, used their understanding of nature to reveal faith from an age-old biology ?” I believe that and afterward further known by doctrine––by as eectively as possible. In the same way that this is the main issue in the modern origins nature through His works, by doctrine through the Lord descends to our level in prayer, he ac - controversy. But once we recognize that state- ocial teaching.” What is most striking in this commodated in the biblical revelatory process. ments about living organisms in Scripture are passage is the balance between these dual rev- Galileo contends, “Propositions dictated by the incidental, accommodated and ancient, an - elations, since they are equally excellent. e other opportunity appears to recast words of appeal to the second-century Church Father Holy Spirit were expressed by the sacred writers the Catholic tradition: Tertullian o ers a helpful insight in that, when in such a way as to accommodate the capacities e intention of the Bible is to teach us sharing our faith with others, we can point to of the very unrefined and undisciplined masses that God is the Creator, nature as a first step towards finding God. … in order not to sow confusion into the minds and not how the Father, Son, Galileo also introduces an important divi - of the common people and make them more and Holy Spirit created. sion of labour between the two divine books. obstinate against dogmas involving higher With regards to theological issues, Scripture mysteries.” has priority over science. “I have no doubt at Third, the famed astronomer then adds Galileo citations from Maurice A Finocchiaro, all,” Galileo asserts, “that where human rea - what I consider to be one of the most impor - e Galileo A air (1989), 87-118. son cannot reach, and where consequently one tant concepts in understanding the relation - Pope John Paul II, “Scripture and Science” cannot have a science, but only opinion and ship between science and Scripture. “Indeed I Origins: CNS Documentary Service 11 (15 Oct faith, it is appropriate piously to conform ab - shall further say that it was not only respect for 1981), 279; “Lessons of the Galileo Case,” solutely to the literal meaning of Scripture.” popular inability, but also the current opinion Origins: CNS Documentary Service 22 (1992), On the other hand, regarding scientific topics, of those times.” Stated another way, the Bible 372. he contends, “I think that in disputes about includes the science-of-the-day in the ancient natural phenomena one must begin not with world. Of course, God could have dictated to Cardinal Poupard, “Galileo: Report on the authority of scriptural passages but with biblical authors that he created the universe and Papal Commission Findings,” Origins: CNS sensory experience and necessary demon- life through the Big Bang and biological evolu - Documentary Service 22 (1992), 373.

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