Today’s featured entry from the Vatican Observatory Faith and Science pages: “Science in the Service of Peace – St. John Paul II” (click here for it) This entry is an address by Pope John Paul II to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, November 12, 1983. There are many resources available from the Pontifical Academy of Sciences…. [click here to continue]. Today marks one year of these regular mini-posts that simply highlight entries from the Vatican Observatory Faith and Science pages. These mini-posts appear twice each month, once on the 8th of the month, and once on the 25th of the month. Why the 8th and the 25th? Because the 1st and the 15th would be too boring, too normal, and not astronomical enough. Therefore, the mini-posts appear on the 8th, because there are eight major planets orbiting the sun, and on the 25th, because twenty-five hours is the approximate amount of time between one moonrise and the next! The Faith … Continue reading →

Today’s featured entry from the Vatican Observatory Faith and Science pages: “Progress on Mount Graham” (click here for it) This entry is a look back to a “News Notes” article from Sky & Telescope Magazine, March 1994, announcing the dedication of the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope…. [click here to continue]. The Faith and Science pages (F&S) are a unique resource on the web.  The material in F&S is stuff that you will find nowhere else (or at least not without a lot of digging).  Featured areas on F&S include “History of Church and Science”; “Church and Science Today”; “Science and Scripture”; “Science, Religion & Society”; “Life in the Universe”; “Cosmology”; and more.  The level of the F&S material ranges from being accessible to all audiences, with even some material oriented toward young readers, up to material for university specialists. The F&S pages, like this blog, are made possible by the Vatican Observatory Foundation (the Vatican Observatory’s US operation that operates … Continue reading →

Today’s featured entry from the Vatican Observatory Faith and Science pages: “Religious Scientists” (click here for it) The V.O. Faith and Science Pages have a growing list of entries on religious scientists. This section features some of the religious scientists who appear in different entries on the Faith and Science pages. Some of these scientists are well-known, others less so. Many are Catholic, many are not. Most are Christian, but some are not…. [click here to continue]. The Faith and Science pages (F&S) are a unique resource on the web.  The material in F&S is stuff that you will find nowhere else (or at least not without a lot of digging).  Featured areas on F&S include “History of Church and Science”; “Church and Science Today”; “Science and Scripture”; “Science, Religion & Society”; “Life in the Universe”; “Cosmology”; and more.  The level of the F&S material ranges from being accessible to all audiences, with even some material oriented toward young readers, … Continue reading →

Today’s featured entry from the Vatican Observatory Faith and Science pages: “Priest of Nature – The Religious Worlds of Isaac Newton” (click here for it) It is often said that Isaac Newton wrote more about the Bible and religion than about science and math. However, his religious writings were generally unpublished, and have always been relatively inaccessible and little studied. Robert Iliffe, the author of the 2017 book Priest of Nature: The Religious Worlds of Isaac Newton, tells us that this is due to a number of reasons, but that in the 21st century these writings have all become widely available. Iliffe introduces his readers to Newton’s work and to his thought. Newton was anti-Trinitarian, anti-Catholic, and had a poor opinion of St. Athanasius (to put it mildly). He sought to live a godly, almost monastic life (but he was also anti-monk). Iliffe shows Newton’s faith being central to all his work, throughout his life, whether that work was in … Continue reading →

Today’s featured entry from the Vatican Observatory Faith and Science pages: “The Jesuit Contribution to Seismology” (click here for it) The contribution to seismology of the Society of Jesus as an institution through its colleges and universities, and its members as individual scientists, forms an important chapter in the history of this science. This is especially so in the early years of its development…. [click here to continue]. The Faith and Science pages (F&S) are a unique resource on the web.  The material in F&S is stuff that you will find nowhere else (or at least not without a lot of digging).  Featured areas on F&S include “History of Church and Science”; “Church and Science Today”; “Science and Scripture”; “Science, Religion & Society”; “Life in the Universe”; “Cosmology”; and more.  The level of the F&S material ranges from being accessible to all audiences, with even some material oriented toward young readers, up to material for university specialists. The F&S pages, … Continue reading →

Today’s featured entry from the Vatican Observatory Faith and Science pages: “Popes and Astronomy” (click here for it) A chapter from the 2009 book The Heavens Proclaim: Astronomy and the Vatican includes relevant statements by modern Popes, from Leo XIII through Benedict XVI, about the Church and astronomy… [click here to continue]. The Faith and Science pages (F&S) are a unique resource on the web.  The material in F&S is stuff that you will find nowhere else (or at least not without a lot of digging).  Featured areas on F&S include “History of Church and Science”; “Church and Science Today”; “Science and Scripture”; “Science, Religion & Society”; “Life in the Universe”; “Cosmology”; and more.  The level of the F&S material ranges from being accessible to all audiences, with even some material oriented toward young readers, up to material for university specialists. The F&S pages, like this blog, are made possible by the Vatican Observatory Foundation (the Vatican Observatory’s US operation … Continue reading →