Since Princeton College and Princeton Seminary were major radii of Realist influence, the conservative Presbyterianism headquartered there is an ideal choice for a case study in the American impact of Baconianism. Presbyterian thinkers, already committed to a synthesis of Protestant religion and Newtonian science, were afforded with additional means of elaborating a doxological version of natural science and of defending it against naturalism and other enemies of Christian faith. Originally published in 1977. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

Many students and members of the public who follow news reports on science and religion may think that Protestantism and science are in conflict. But while evangelical attacks on evolution may make the headlines, many mainstream Protestant groups have long embraced science and the scientific worldview. This volume in the Greenwood Guides to Science and Religion covers those Protestant thinkers who seek to use the insights of science to further their understanding of religion and faith. In addition, the volume will also discuss such trends at the liberal protestant acceptance of evolution, the advent of ecotheology, and the Social Gospel. The volume includes a selection of primary source documents, a glossary and a timeline, and an annotated bibliography of the most useful resources for further research.

The story of the “conflict thesis” between science and religion—the notion of perennial conflict or warfare between the two—is part of our modern self-understanding. As the story goes, John William Draper (1811–1882) and Andrew Dickson White (1832–1918) constructed dramatic narratives in the nineteenth century that cast religion as the relentless enemy of scientific progress. And yet, despite its resilience in popular culture, historians today have largely debunked the conflict thesis. Unravelling its origins, James Ungureanu argues that Draper and White actually hoped their narratives would preserve religious belief. For them, science was ultimately a scapegoat for a much larger and more important argument dating back to the Protestant Reformation, where one theological tradition was pitted against another—a more progressive, liberal, and diffusive Christianity against a more traditional, conservative, and orthodox Christianity. By the mid-nineteenth century, narratives of conflict between “science and religion” were largely deployed between contending theological schools of thought. However, these narratives were later appropriated by secularists, freethinkers, and atheists as weapons against all religion. By revisiting its origins, development, and popularization, Ungureanu ultimately reveals that the “conflict thesis” was just one of the many unintended consequences of the Protestant Reformation.

First published in 1907, Mark Twain's “Christian Science” contains a collection of essays related to Christian Science, a belief system adhered to by members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Despite taking interest in ideas espoused by Christian Science like mental healing, Twain was highly critical of the church's founder, Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910), who he believed was using the religion to gain wealth and power for herself. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835–1910), more commonly known under the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, lecturer, publisher and entrepreneur most famous for his novels “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” (1876) and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (1884). Other notable works by this author include: “The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today” (1873) and “The Prince and the Pauper” (1881). Read & Co. Books is proudly republishing this fantastic essay collection now in a new edition complete with a specially-commissioned biography of the author.

"A book introduces new thoughts, but it cannot make them speedily understood. It is the task of the sturdy pioneer to hew the tall oak and to cut the rough granite. Future ages must declare what the pioneer has accomplished." - Mary Baker Eddy Among the various religious movements of the 19th century, few have had as widespread an influence as Christian Science, the religious system devised by a fragile little lady named Mary Baker Eddy. Eddy was a religious woman who suffered an injury in the 1860s that led her to found a new church premised most notably on the belief that people need not turn to medicine or drugs to heal themselves but simply to reach a better understanding of the nature of God. Just before founding this new church, Eddy published her movement's seminal text, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (1875), which laid out her expansive views about Christianity, and the metaphysical reasons she believed that people could overcome illness without relying on man-made technology. In effect, since sin, disease, and death are not God's making, men could also shed them by becoming closer to God. In addition to founding her church and authoring that seminal book, Eddy wrote voluminously over the coming decades, helping establish both the Christian Science Journal and most famously the Christian Science Monitor.Not surprisingly, Eddy's religious teachings were controversial, but so was the woman herself. She was embroiled in all sorts of disputes, including whether she had plagiarized the teachings of her contemporary, Phineas Quimby. Despite having famous critics like Mark Twain attacking her teachings, and others questioning whether they were even hers, the Church grew to include hundreds of thousands of followers in the early 20th century. While that number has dwindled over recent decades, the Church and its institutions are still going strong today.

Americans in the 1950s faced the challenge of negotiating the new medium's place in the home and in American culture in general. Using the American Protestant experience of the introduction of television, Rosenthal illustrates the importance of the interplay between a new medium and its users.

Most people, when they think about the purported conflict between science and religion, would most likely think first of evangelical Protestantism. Because of the prominent place evolution versus creationism--and such events as the Scopes Trial--has had in the debates over science and religion, many people think of evangelicals as hostile to science. As with other volumes in the Greenwood Guides to Science and Religion series, this work addresses the more complex interworkings between modern science and evangelical Christianity. Evangelicals and Science provides a thorough overview of the history of the relationship between these two dominant forces in public life, including chapters on evangelicals, the Bible and science, evangelicals and geology, the rise of Creationism, and evangelicals and modern science. The volume includes primary source documents to give readers a flavor of the writings of evangelicals on science, a timeline, and an annotated bibliography. --From publisher's description.

In 'Living Fountains or Broken Cisterns: An Educational Problem for Protestants' by E. A. Sutherland, the reader is taken on a journey through the challenges facing Protestant education. Sutherland uses a scholarly and precise style to examine the educational resources available to Protestants and the potential shortcomings of these resources. The book delves into the literary context of educational philosophy and theology, providing insightful analysis and thought-provoking ideas for those interested in the intersection of faith and education. The intricate exploration of different educational approaches and their impact on Protestant communities adds depth and relevance to the discussion. E. A. Sutherland, a seasoned educational scholar with a background in theology and philosophy, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the subject matter. His deep understanding of Protestant ideals and educational principles shines through in his meticulous examination of the educational dilemma facing Protestants. Sutherland's expertise in the field gives credibility to his arguments and positions him as a respected voice in the conversation surrounding Protestant education. I highly recommend 'Living Fountains or Broken Cisterns' to readers interested in the complexities of Protestant education and the challenges it faces in the modern world. Sutherland's nuanced analysis and thought-provoking insights make this book essential reading for those seeking a deeper understanding of the educational landscape within Protestant communities.

Poet, essayist, chemist, geologist, educator, entrepreneur, publisher--Benjamin Silliman (1779-1864) was one of the virtuosi of the Early Republic and a founder of the American scientific community. This absorbing biography is not only a study of the youth and early career of a complex and remarkable man but also a window on his times. In lively and often moving detail, Chandos Michael Brown opens the broad context of Silliman's life in his native Connecticut. From Silliman's father's disastrous captivity among the British during the Revolution to the intensities of New England religious revivals, from the international celebrity of the Weston Meteor to the economic hazards of introducing artificial mineral waters to the New York market, here is an engaging portrayal of the growth of an American scientist within his rich cultural setting. Brown tells how the young Silliman confronted the declining fortunes of his distinguished family and how he strove to invent a new career worthy of his ambition and social standing. He describes Silliman's education at Yale College and in Philadelphia, his European tour, and his subsequent activities as a professor of chemistry and mineralogy, founder of the Yale Medical School, and editor of the American Journal of Science. Throughout this cultural biography, Silliman appears as the concerned member of an often troubled family--a man who nonetheless managed to achieve that elusive quality, greatly admired by his contemporaries, that of the representative American. Originally published in 1990. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.