Science and the Christian Church

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The relationship between science and the Christian Church has never been viewed as a positive one. The Christian Church has often been ostracized for their role in the history of science, and to some degree is most commonly held responsible for most, if not all the struggles that science had to undergo to achieve it's status today. In David Lindberg's article titled "Science and the Christian Church" Lindberg explores this idea by not taking sides with the Christian church, or the sciences, but by examining other possible explanations as to why the scientific struggle was so hard. Throughout Lindbergs article, he offers many additional possible explanations for the struggle of science then the rise of Christianity. Though he does not entirely dismiss the idea that the Christian Church had anything to do in hindering scientific achievement, he does not entirely blame them either. Lindberg even goes as far as to state that Christianity "did little to alter the situation." Lindberg primarily takes the pressure off the Christian church by emphasizing the fact that science in the antiquity was not the same as modern science today. This is a very important point because it is a common misconception that the sciences have always been viewed as a primary source of study, when in truth, it was not always so. Lindberg points out that in antiquity during the rise of Christianity the major disciplines of science did not exist, and mostly all scientific study was categorized under the term of natural philosophy, which did not have a clearly defined social role or profession." This was caused by the fact that the roman empire was diminishing, intellectuals did not have a primary location in which to study, and people were more concerned with the basic needs for survival, thus, limiting their interest in natural sciences, and enhancing their interest in the hereafter. Lindberg's article is very complete because though it points out many other issues that had a role in the lack of scientific popularity, it addresses the fact that the church did not entirely embrace natural science, and in many cases rejected much of what was being studied.

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