Galileo by Mitch Stokes is part of the Christian Encounters series and is a fascinating biography of Galileo Galilei. When most people hear the name Galileo, they do not think of Christianity. They think instead of long nights of watching the stars through telescopes. Most do not know that Galileo was interested in the Bible and wanted to be a Monk.
Mitch Stokes has writing another intriguing biography that captivates the reader- this time placing the reader in the life of Galileo Galilei. Stokes shows the unique history of ancient Italy and how it was intermixed with Christianity and Philosophy. Stokes even talks about how Christianity (the medieval version of it, which was primarily Catholicism) was mixed with Aristotlism to become Medieval Philosophy and taught as part of the medical program at the University that Galileo attended in the 1500s.
One of my favorite portions of the book is Galileo’s role in modern Astronomy and the affect it had on the general Christianity of the time. The primary teachings on the universe were from the works of Aristotle. Aristotle had developed the idea that the universe centered around Earth, and the sun, moon, planets, and stars were embedded in enormous crystalline spheres that revolved around the Earth. Galileo showed through his calculations of centers of gravity that the Earth is not the center of the universe and that the universe is intelligently designed. Galileo held Copernicus’ view that the Earth revolved around the sun. Of course, Galileo went against the grain and placed science and nature in the balance. This led to many papers and debates on theology and the universe.
Galileo by Mitch Stokes is one of my favorite biographies in the Christian Encounters series. Stokes tells the story with remarkable detail and still keeps it very interesting throughout the book. I highly recommend it, especially if you enjoy the history of Christianity and science.
Thomas Nelson Publishers provided this review copy for free. I was not required to give a positive review- only an honest review.