Word and the World: Biblical Exegesis and Early Modern Science

The Word and the World explores the significant impact of biblical reading practices on the scientific thought of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, engaging not only with canonical figures such as Bacon, Brahe or Galileo, but also with less well known figures, including Bruno, Browne and Khunrath. It addresses the idea that early modern natural philosophers forged their new disciplines despite, rather than because of, the pervasive bible-centredness of early modern thought. The essays in this volume challenge this critical presumption and offer substantial evidence for the centrality of scriptural interpretation for scientific thinkers of the period. It ranges across the early modern scientific landscape, as well as attending to a wide spectrum of religious confessions across Europe. In addition, the contributions display multidisciplinary interests and approaches, drawing from backgrounds in theology, the history of science, intellectual history, literature and the humanities.